IDRC 2027 – Chennai

About the 2027 International Donor Registry Conference

Co-hosts DATRI (India’s largest blood stem cell donor registry) and Anthony Nolan (the world’s first stem cell donor register) invite you to join us in Chennai, India, for the 2027 International Donor Registry Conference (IDRC.)

The IDRC is the official conference of the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA). Hosted by WMDA member registries around the world, it brings together international representatives from stem cell donor registries and umbilical cord blood banks. The 16th IDRC, which will also include the WMDA Global Meetings, will take place from 16–19 March 2027. We invite the global register community to convene in Chennai to share their expertise, develop new alliances and projects, share new research, and address both global and regional challenges with a particular focus on the Asia Pacific region.

This will be the first time the conference returns to the Asia-Pacific region since Singapore hosted the 2016 IDRC. Chennai is recognised as one of India’s leading healthcare hubs, with advanced hospitals, research institutions, and specialised medical teams. The city plays an active role in oncology, haematology, stem cell transplantation, and donor registry collaborations, aligning closely with the values of global medical and donor communities.

Hosting it in India will celebrate the explosive growth and strategic importance of this region. It will offer both new and established registries the opportunity to build capability, share best practice and innovation, and explore partnership opportunities.

It’s the first time two international registries have partnered to co-host the conference, and the theme of collaborative action will be reflected throughout the event. DATRI and Anthony Nolan have been closely collaborating since 2009. The two organisations have also become research partners aiming to give more patients access to matching donors in India, the UK, and around the world.

The conference aims to embrace the spirit of collaboration and turn it into action, by working together to ensure more patients have access to treatment. If we are to achieve greater equity for transplant and cell therapy patients, we must work together to make sure all voices are heard on the global stage, and the 2027 IDRC is the ideal opportunity to make this happen.

About us

About DATRI

DATRI Blood Stem Cell Donors Registry is a not-for-profit organisation working to give patients with blood cancer and other fatal blood disorders a second chance at life through blood stem cell transplants. We unite hope and humanity, connecting voluntary blood stem cell donors with patients whose survival depends on finding a matching donor. Since 2009, we have been driven by one purpose: to give every patient a fair chance at life through a lifesaving blood stem cell transplant.

With over 6.5 lakh registered donors and more than 1,800 successful transplants facilitated, DATRI is India’s largest blood stem cell donors registry, empowering individuals to become lifesavers for patients in urgent need. Our work ensures that every patient, regardless of their background, can find an unrelated matched donor to survive. But our mission doesn’t stop there. We are building a future where every patient in need can find their perfect match - quickly, safely, and without barriers. At DATRI, we believe that one match can change a life and together, we can change thousands more.
www.datri.org.

About Anthony Nolan

Anthony Nolan is the charity that unites people and science – matching stem cell donors to those with blood cancers and blood disorders in need of transplants and treatments. Their register of almost a million potential donors means more people can find the lifesaving match they need.

Over the last 50 years the charity has been working at the cutting edge of cell therapies and has made incredible progress. Now, thanks to their register, their pioneering cell and gene therapy research and their expertise in stem cell transplants, Anthony Nolan

currently helps four patients a day in need of a transplant, giving more people another chance to live.

But there is so much more that can, and must, be done. Not all patients have access to the treatment they need. Many don’t survive. Others have to live with side effects of treatment. Anthony Nolan won’t stop until every patient can not only survive, but thrive.
www.anthonynolan.org.

About WMDA

The World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA) is a global non-profit organisation that connects patients in need of life‑saving stem cell transplants with volunteer donors worldwide. Established in 1988, WMDA coordinates donor and cord blood data from across the globe and maintains the world’s largest database for stem cell matching. The Search & Match Service has become the world’s largest haematopoietic cell donor database, listing 44 million stem cell donors and more than 750,000 cord blood units. It is now an essential resource for transplant centres worldwide.

From its headquarters in Leiden, the Netherlands, WMDA continues its mission: connecting patients with suitable donors, supporting the development of donor registries, promoting the safety and well‑being of donors, and working with international partners – such as the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (WBMT) and the EBMT – to support fair and effective access to stem cell transplantation across the globe.
www.wmda.info.

Chennai Central railway station

Chennai Central, is an NSG–1 category Indian railway station in the Chennai railway division of Southern Railway zone.

Kapaleeswarar Temple

The Kapaleeshwarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Shiva.

Valluvar Kottam

Valluvar Kottam is a monument in Chennai, dedicated to the classical Tamil poet philosopher Valluvar.

Triumph of Labour

The Triumph of Labour, also known as the Labour statue, is a statue at the Marina Beach, Chennai, India.

Ripon Building

The Ripon Building is the seat and headquarters of the Greater Chennai Corporation in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.