CSCC at 70: Navigating the Tides of Discovery
May 3-6, 2026, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Click here to register for the conference!
The CSCC Annual Meeting in Halifax is fast approaching, with (NOTE!) earlier dates in May than we’ve had in previous years. Aside from the obvious nautical linkage to our host city this year, the terms “Navigation” and “Tides” were intentionally selected in our conference theme as the committee developed an excellent line-up for our scientific program.
Dr. Christine Chambers (PhD, RPsych) will lead off the scientific sessions with the opening Keynote on Sunday May 3. A Canada Research Chair in Children’s Pain (Tier1), her research is directed at improving the assessment and management of children’s pain, and she is recognized as a leader and innovator in patient engagement, partnerships, and mobilization of health research. Speaking on “From Evidence to Influence: Making a Difference for Children in Pain”, Dr. Chambers has noted, “Science shows us what works. Knowledge mobilization ensures it reaches every child who needs it.”
In Monday’s symposium, on the theme of “Access for all: Supporting Healthcare and Lab Access in Challenging Environments,” symposium chairs have secured a stellar constellation of talks: Dr. Edward Randell on the topic of challenges and successes in providing laboratory access for remote communities, Dr. Mark Walsh on access to transplant programs covering large geographic areas, and Dr. Christoph Stove on dried blood spot testing for improved access to laboratory testing. Don’t miss your opportunity to register for the industry workshops on Monday as well!
For Tuesday’s symposium, the theme tacks to cytokines: “New Kids on the Block: Cytokine testing in transition – emerging tools for rare inflammatory disorders”. A not-to-be-missed session, speakers include Dr. Luke Chen on clinical and diagnostic evaluation of rare inflammatory disorders, Dr. Lusia Sepiashvili on the current status of cytokine testing in clinical laboratories, and additional clinical insights on the interpretation of cytokine testing with case examples. Tuesday’s roundtables and scientific workshops have a topic for everyone so you’ll want to register early to secure your spot!
On Wednesday, we are pleased to welcome aboard the IFCC’s Evidence Based Laboratory Medicine (EBLM) Committee to provide our final symposium. Led by Dr. Andrew Don-Wauchope, the symposium will chart the course of using evidence-based medicine to guide utilization of laboratory testing. Clinical practice guidelines and minimum repeat testing intervals will be described as tools to help with providing the evidence for laboratory test utilization. Examples of improved test utilization from the literature will be provided and some conceptual and practical applications using artificial intelligence will be discussed.
Please check the conference website regularly for updates and we look forward to seeing you in Halifax in May!
On behalf of the 2026 Halifax Conference Planning Committee, and with notable acknowledgement to this year’s symposia chairs, Drs. Miranda Brun, Benjamin Jung, and Jason Robinson