Open Call for the GoCART Observership Programme

Host Centre: LMU Munich, Germany, Date: January 2026

Being the first beneficiary of the CAR-T Observership Program was a truly rewarding experience. I had the opportunity to shadow the Haematology team at the University Hospital Munich for one week in January 2026. During these intensive days, I joined daily hospital rounds, observed patient follow-ups in the outpatient clinic (including sessions with the Neurology team), and participated in multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings.

I also had several eye-opening, face-to-face discussions with world-renowned experts in the field, which highlighted the importance of sharing insights on CAR-T therapy for the development of specialized centres. It was particularly exciting to see how the management of CAR-T patients differs from centre to centre, and how the experience gained during such training can be incorporated into daily clinical practice.

I would like to sincerely thank Prof. Subklewe and the entire team—especially Dr. Bucklein, who warmly introduced me to the group, and Dr. Kolbig, without whom I might have spent most of my time wandering the hospital corridors in search of the right direction.

Host Centre: CHU Montpellier, France, Date: March 2026

The observership at CHU Montpellier in March 2026 was highly beneficial both from a clinical and, importantly, an organizational perspective. It allowed me to gain a detailed understanding of the complexity of a CAR-T program and to identify areas for further development at our institution.

The knowledge and experience gained will be applied in the further development of cellular therapy with the aim of improving the quality and safety of patient care.

I would like to thank the team at CHU Montpellier for their exceptionally warm welcome and for the time they dedicated to me. I also thank GoCART for supporting this observership.

Host Centre: Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Spain, Date: March 2026

I recently completed a two week visit at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona in March 2026 as part of the GoCART Coalition Observership Programme. This opportunity allowed me to observe all key aspects of an established CAR-T service, including outpatient clinics, apheresis, day ward, inpatient care, and the haematology-at-home service. The experience was truly inspiring and provided practical insights into operational workflows, patient management, adverse event handling, and quality assurance processes. I am now planning to implement several best practices at my own institution to strengthen our emerging CAR-T programme and improve patient outcomes. I am very grateful to the GoCART Coalition, the host team in Barcelona Clinic, and the programme leads for this exceptional learning opportunity.

Host Centre: San Raffaele Scientific Institute Milan, Italy, Date: April 2026

Participating in the GoCART Observership Programme at San Raffaele was an outstanding learning experience and a valuable opportunity for my professional development. The entire team was incredibly welcoming, supportive, and always willing to answer my questions and share their expertise.

I would especially like to thank Prof. Ruggeri, who continuously checked on my progress, ensured that I felt comfortable within the team, and made every effort to optimize my learning experience throughout the observership.

During the four weeks, I had the opportunity to observe all the key stages of the CAR-T pathway, from apheresis and cell processing logistics to inpatient care, CRS management, and long-term follow-up. This comprehensive exposure provided me with a much deeper understanding of the organization and delivery of CAR-T therapy.

As we are currently a relatively small paediatric transplant unit at Fundeni Clinical Institute, we did not have any CAR-T patients during this month. Nevertheless, I have already shared many of the important insights and practical aspects I learned with my colleagues and my attending physicians.

I am also pleased to mention that Prof. Annalisa invited me to participate as a lecturer at the 11th International Transplant and Cellular Therapy Course, which will take place in Barcelona this September. I submitted an abstract that was accepted, and I am grateful that our collaboration continues with the full support of the host institution.

Furthermore, as Fundeni Clinical Institute is actively working toward establishing a CAR-T centre through a close partnership with San Raffaele, I am confident that I will be able to apply the knowledge and experience gained during this observership in the near future and contribute to the development of our programme.

I would like to sincerely thank everyone involved in organizing and supporting this opportunity. It has been an invaluable experience, and I look forward to further enriching my knowledge through similar educational initiatives in the future.

Host Centre: UMC Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Germany, Date: April 2026

The observership went great. I took part in board meetings, ward rounds, outpatient clinic contacts, organisation meetings. There was always time and space for questions and discussions.

I came back with lots of ideas, data and practical knowledge, sparkling from inspiration. The observership really boosted my ambitions and will help my career steps.

As a consequence, I will from now on takeover more responsibilities in the CAR-T- program of our clinic. I would encourage these kinds of initiatives for all young haematology fellows.

Host Centre: UH Leipzig, Germany, Date: April 2026

I would also like to express my sincere thanks to EBMT, EHA, GoCART, and everyone involved in developing and organizing this valuable observership programme. It was truly an inspiring and highly educational experience for me.

My observership with Vladan was an excellent and highly enriching experience. I gained insight into the entire CAR-T pathway, including patient selection, apheresis, inpatient management, long-term outpatient follow-up, laboratory procedures, biobanking, and clinical research activities. I also had the opportunity to review the program’s SOPs and organizational workflows, which provided valuable practical knowledge on how a complex CAR-T service is coordinated across different teams and departments. Although I have not yet fully implemented these practices in my own institution, I am currently discussing with my colleagues how some of the approaches and organizational aspects I observed can be adapted to our setting. The observership broadened my perspective on both the clinical and operational requirements of a successful CAR-T program.

I would like to sincerely thank Vladan and his entire team for their warm welcome, generosity, and willingness to share their expertise and experience. Their openness, support, and dedication made this observership an outstanding learning opportunity, and I am truly grateful for the time they invested in my training.

Host Centre: Princess Maxima Centre, Utrecht, Netherlands, Date: April 2026

The was a very clinically informative and practical posting to a unit that is well versed in the peculiarities surrounding the delivery of CART cell therapy having done in excess of 60 cases with a good history of post CART long term care. The centre was not only well versed in delivery of CART but an experienced centre for haematopoietic stem cell transplant, experimental therapies with a vibrant research portfolio. Lots of planning made ahead made by my supervisor so I was able to meet with key opinion leaders in acute leukaemia and cellular therapy research at the centre and establish hopefully viable long-term communication.

Host Centre: Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Paris, France, Date: May 2026

The GoCART Observership Programme is a unique opportunity for young doctors to visit leading European haematological centres specialised in CAR-T cell therapy. Participation in the programme not only broadens knowledge of CAR-T therapy but also helps build relationships between centres and offers hope for future collaboration. During my stay at Gustave Roussy, I had the opportunity to observe every stage of CAR-T treatment, from patient qualification through infusion and subsequent follow-up care. The observership also provided an opportunity to discuss future research directions in the field of cellular therapies. I believe this is an excellent initiative that broadens the horizons of young physicians, inspires further professional development, and improves the quality of care provided to patients undergoing CAR-T therapy. I would highly recommend applying to this programme, and I hope that this initiative will be further expanded to include other areas of haematology and bone marrow transplant as well. Thank you very much for the opportunity to participate!

Host centre: Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, Date: June 2026

The observership in Frankfurt was a very valuable experience for my professional development in the field of CAR T-cell therapy. The team in Frankfurt, led by Professor Bader, was very welcoming and supportive, creating an excellent learning environment. 

The main goal of my visit was to gain practical experience from an established CAR T center. I truly had the opportunity to observe the whole treatment process — from patient preparation before CAR T-cell infusion, through the administration itself, to post-infusion monitoring and management. I gained both theoretical and practical knowledge in patient assessment and in the grading, recognition, and management of CAR T-related toxicities, including CRS and ICANS. It was especially valuable to observe the practical management of these complications in routine clinical practice.

As an emerging CAR T centre with limited experience in this treatment modality, this observership will help us strengthen our local processes and improve patient safety. I will use this experience to support our team in optimizing patient monitoring, improving early recognition and management of CAR T-related toxicities.