On Saturday, April 18, 2026, the annual Dr. Robert Collins Memorial Hematopathology Conference (formerly known as the Regional Hematopathology Conference) took place at Vanderbilt Medical Laboratories (VML) located at the MetroCenter in Nashville. This is a tradition Dr. Robert Collins began in 1989 where current and former VUMC faculty and trainees, as well as friends of the program share interesting and challenging hematopathology cases. The conference host alternates yearly between VUMC and a host institution – often where a former fellow practices. Eighteen riveting and excellent cases were presented. The Keynote Speaker was Ashwin Kishtagari, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. His talk was titled, “Clonal Hematopoiesis.” Special thanks are due to Holly Spann for organizing the 2026 conference and the Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology for supporting this wonderful tradition.
