Led by Prof. Dr. med. Markus Schmugge Liner (Chair) and PD Dr. med. Alexandra Schifferli (Vice Chair), the Pediatric Hematology Working Group (PHWG) focuses on optimizing diagnostic methods and targeted therapies for non-malignant pediatric blood disorders.
The PHWG covers a broad spectrum of hematological conditions, including inherited bone marrow failure, acquired aplastic and dysplastic diseases, inherited disorders of haematopoiesis, and autoimmune cytopenias across all cell lineages (such as hemoglobinopathies and thrombocytopenias). Additionally, members actively contribute to the clinical training and mentorship of Young Investigators (YI) and medical fellows across Swiss academic institutions.
Key Milestones & Research Initiatives
Registries & Clinical Studies: Active participation in national and international registries, including EWOG (MDS/SAA/JMML with monthly videoboards), Diamond-Blackfan Anemia (DBA), PARC-ITP, and the Swiss Rare Red Cell Disease Registry (RBCR).
Clinical Guidance & SOPs: Evaluating and harmonizing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and clinical guidelines across Swiss pediatric hematology centers.
Education & Teaching: Organizing specialized morphology teaching ("CH-MOPS") for trainees and specialists.
Collaboration & Standardization: Evaluating relations with industry, supporting individual hemostasis projects, and facilitating local project presentations to foster inter-center exchange.
Working Group Membership & General Rules
Membership is open to all ordinary and extraordinary SSPHO members, as well as representatives from related fields (surgery, pathology, radiology, radiation oncology, rehabilitation, nursing, and patient representatives). Ideally, every Swiss center and Young Investigators are represented.
How to Join: Submit a short, informal Letter of Intent outlining relevant expertise, motivation, expected contributions, and at least one future project idea.
Member Responsibilities: Active participation in projects and regular meetings is required. Co-authorship follows ICMJE guidelines.
Meetings: The group meets regularly online and in-person to review progress, present local projects, evaluate guidelines, and discuss complex cases. Sub-groups meet as needed.
