New ETRL Director appointed

April 1, 2026 | Homepage, News

As announced during the extramural meeting 20th of March in Brussels, Belgium, a new ETRL director has been appointed.

From June 1st this year, Gottfried Fischer will start as the new Director of the Eurotransplant Reference Laboratory (ETRL). He will be appointed for two years, during which a successor will already be sought and trained. Gottfried feels honored to fulfill this role and is looking forward to start in June. He is very experienced in the histocompatibility field and also has long term experience as member of the Eurotransplant Tissue Typing Advisory Committee.

This photo, taken during the extramural meeting in Brussels, shows part of the ETRL team with the new ETRL director. From left to right: Karin Feddes-de Boer, Yvonne Zoet, Gottfried Fischer and Marissa van der Linden-van Oevelen. Missing from the photo: Geert Haasnoot.

Extramural meeting 20-03-2026

February 13, 2026 | Homepage, News

On Friday 20th of March 2026 the annual extra mural meeting 2026 will be held in Brussels, Belgium. Topics that will be covered are external proficiency testing, improvement of the ETKAS point system, advancements in donor HLA-typing, and a scientific lecture on AI models in liver transplantation.

Please find more information and a link to register in the invitation.

ETRL newsletter Issue #25, Autumn 2025

February 13, 2026 | Homepage, News

This edition of the ETRL newsletter contains information about the AM program. As usual at the end of the year, the dates for the EPT shipments of next year and the extra mural meeting date are announced. We hope you enjoy reading this newsletter!

Vacancy for ETRL director

September 11, 2025 | Homepage, News

Do you want to play a key role in the international field of organ allocation? At LUMC, as Head of the Eurotransplant Reference Laboratory you will have the opportunity to develop innovative allocation rules that directly improve transplantation opportunities for patients. You combine scientific leadership with managing a specialised team and close collaboration with HLA specialists and clinicians worldwide. In this way, you make a daily impact on the future of transplantation medicine. Please visit the LUMC job website for more information.

Extramural meeting 11-04-2025

March 10, 2025 | Homepage, News

On Friday 11th of April 2025 the annual extra mural meeting 2025 will be held in Berlin, Germany. Topics that will be covered are external proficiency testing, future directions in recipient and donor HLA typing in Eurotransplant, the ET desensitization program, and a scientific lecture on transplanting highly immunized patients.

Please contact the ETRL with any questions regarding the extramural meeting.

In memoriam – Prof. Dr. Frans Claas

February 5, 2025 | Homepage, News

It is with deep sadness that we inform you of the sudden passing of Prof. Dr. Frans Claas on Sunday, 2 February 2025, while he was on holiday in South Africa. Frans was not only a great mentor and leader to many of us who had the opportunity to work with him but also a wonderful person full of life and inspiration.

Frans made significant contributions to the field of transplantation immunology through his patient-oriented research and active involvement in Eurotransplant, EFI, Europdonor (Matchis), the Dutch Transplant Foundation (NTS), Eurocord, ASHI, Leiden University Medical Center, and the University of Antwerp. He strongly believed in international collaboration and generously shared his knowledge worldwide, supporting many HLA laboratories and research centers.

As the ETRL team, we will deeply miss and fondly remember Frans who was the ETRL director from 1985 to 2020. We remain committed to carrying forward his core principles of kindness, friendship and collaboration.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to Frans’ wife, Ilse, along with his family, friends, and colleagues around the world.

New ETRL Director appointed

October 1, 2024 | Homepage, News

On August 15, 2024, Gonca E. Karahan was appointed as the Director of the Eurotransplant Reference Laboratory (ETRL) and she is looking forward to this role, where she can combine her experience in the histocompatibility field with her research expertise. Currently, as a senior scientist, Gonca E. Karahan leads a Dutch Kidney Foundation-funded project investigating the role of HLA-specific memory B cell detection in the immunological risk assessment of highly sensitized kidney transplant patients undergoing desensitization treatments.

Gonca E. Karahan studied biomedical sciences at Istanbul University, Turkey, graduating in 2000. She spent the next 11 years at the HLA Laboratory of Istanbul Medical Faculty, where she combined patient-related work with pursuing an MSc in 2003 and a PhD in 2010 in medical biology under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Mahmut Carin and Prof. Dr. Fatma Oguz. Her research during this time focused on anti-HLA antibody detection in sensitized kidney transplant recipients.

In 2012, she moved to the Netherlands to further her research in immunology, joining the Transplantation Immunology Research Laboratory at the Leiden University Medical Center. As a PhD student under supervision of Dr. Sebastiaan Heidt and Prof. Dr. Frans Claas, she developed several methods for HLA-specific memory B cell detection in kidney transplant patients. After earning her PhD in immunology in 2017, she continued as a post-doctoral scientist in the same group, expanding her research to study anti-HLA antibody characteristics and alloreactive immune memory.

Vacancy for ETRL director

March 25, 2024 | Homepage, News

Are you ready to lead a team of professionals in the field of histocompatibility and organ allocation? Do you have a PhD in immunology, extensive knowledge of the HLA system, and a track record in research? Are you skilled in high-precision diagnostics and adept at problem-solving? If this sounds like the challenge you’re looking for, then we look forward to meeting you. Please visit the LUMC jobs website for more information.

Extramural meeting 15-03-2023

February 7, 2024 | Homepage, News

On Friday 15th of March 2024 the annual extra mural meeting 2024 will be held in Munich, Germany. Topics that will be covered are external proficiency testing, experiences with virtual crossmatching, feasibility of retrospective recipient center crossmatches, and a scientific lecture on xenotransplantation.

Please contact the ETRL with any questions regarding the extramural meeting.

Vacancy at the ETRL

December 19, 2023 | Homepage, News

The Eurotransplant Reference Laboratory (ETRL) is seeking a new colleague to join our enthusiastic team at Leiden University Medical Center. Are you a motivated HLO graduate with a passion for immunology and an interest in organ allocation? If so, we would love to meet you! Please visit the LUMC jobs website.