Mrinal S. Patnaik, MBBS is a physician scientist in the Division of Hematology within the Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He serves as Chair of the Acute Leukemia and Myeloid Neoplasms Group in Rochester and is the Scientific Director of the Epigenetics Developmental Laboratory and the Epigenomics Program. He is actively involved in the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Bone Marrow Transplant Program. Dr. Patnaik’s clinical and research expertise centers on precision genomics and epigenetics, with a focus on myeloid neoplasms and bone marrow failure syndromes. He directs the Mayo Clinic Clonal Hematopoiesis Clinic, the Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome Clinic, and the Short Telomere Clinic. His primary clinical interests include chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, myeloproliferative neoplasms, hereditary predisposition syndromes, and short telomere syndromes. He performs allogeneic stem cell transplantation and integrates genomic risk stratification into therapeutic decision making. Board certified in internal medicine and hematology by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Patnaik completed his residency and hematology oncology fellowship training at Mayo Clinic. He is recognized for excellence in education and mentorship, including induction into the Mayo Fellows Association Teacher of the Year Hall of Fame and receipt of the Internal Medicine Residents Outstanding Teaching Award. This session will provide a comprehensive clinical update in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, highlighting key aspects of diagnosis, risk assessment, and current treatment approaches. Emphasis will be placed on practical management strategies, evolving therapeutic options, and individualized patient care to support informed decision making in the management of CMML.

Saad Z. Usmani, MD, MBA, FACP, FRCP, FASCO is Chief of the Myeloma Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a leading international expert in the diagnosis, management, and research of multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders. He also serves as Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University. Dr. Usmani completed his medical education at Allama Iqbal Medical College, followed by residency training in internal medicine at Sinai Grace Hospital and Wayne State University. He subsequently completed fellowship training in hematology and medical oncology at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Dr. Usmani specializes in the care of patients with multiple myeloma and related plasma cell disorders, including monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), smoldering myeloma, and AL amyloidosis. Many of the patients he treats have high risk or difficult to treat disease, and his clinical work focuses on developing individualized treatment strategies that integrate the latest advances in targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and cellular therapy. His expertise also includes bone marrow transplantation and CAR T cell therapy for plasma cell malignancies. His research program focuses on advancing therapeutic strategies for multiple myeloma through clinical trials, immunotherapy development, and the integration of novel treatment approaches. Dr. Usmani has played a key role in the clinical development of several therapies that have received regulatory approval for patients with multiple myeloma and other hematologic malignancies. His work also explores the role of minimal residual disease testing to guide treatment decisions, improve risk stratification, and better understand disease progression from precursor conditions to active myeloma. Dr. Usmani holds numerous leadership roles in international clinical research collaborations and professional societies. He currently serves as Chair of the Myeloma Committee for the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology within the National Clinical Trials Network and is a board member of the International Myeloma Society. His contributions to the field have been recognized through numerous honors, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Career Development Achievement Award, the Celgene Young Investigator Award for Clinical Research in Hematology, and repeated recognition as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor. Through his clinical leadership, research contributions, and educational engagement, Dr. Usmani continues to help shape the evolving landscape of myeloma treatment while advancing care for patients with plasma cell disorders worldwide.

Ilene Weitz, MD is a Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC). She practices at LAC+USC Medical Center, Keck Hospital of USC, and USC Norris Cancer Hospital. Ilene Weitz, MD is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Hematology. She earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and pursued a fellowship in hematology/oncology at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in La Jolla, California. Ilene Weitz, MD's clinical and research interests encompass a range of hematologic disorders, including paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), cold agglutinin disease, thrombotic microangiopathies (TMA), sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and immune-mediated anemias and thrombocytopenia. She has contributed to numerous publications in journals such as the American Journal of Hematology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Hepatology, and has authored several book chapters and reviews. A dedicated educator, Ilene Weitz, MD has been recognized with the Morris Press Humanism Award and the Golden Apple Outstanding Physician Educator Award from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She has also received the Outstanding Voluntary Faculty Award in the Division of Hematology from USC School of Medicine. Ilene Weitz, MD continues to advance the field of hematology through her clinical practice, research, and commitment to medical education.