Join us for the inaugural LE&RN Centers of Excellence Summit—an exclusive, in-person gathering designed to unite our global network of over 70 Centers of Excellence. This closed-door event will bring together representatives from all COE designations from across the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia, and beyond. With approximately 100 attendees, including center directors, clinicians, surgeons and researchers, this is your opportunity to collaborate, innovate, and elevate the standard of care for people living with lymphatic diseases (LD).
Dates: October 21–23, 2026
Location: Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay Hotel, Miami, Florida
Hosted by: Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN)
LE&RN's Centers of Excellence program sets the gold standard for multidisciplinary LD care, requiring rigorous criteria in diagnosis, imaging, conservative and surgical management, genetics, research, education, and community engagement. As a designated COE, your participation will help shape the future of this program, fostering stronger inter-center relationships and driving real improvements for patients.
AGENDA
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Opening Reception & Welcome Dinner
- 6:00 PM – Reception & Dinner
- 7:00 PM – Welcome & Opening Remarks: William Repicci, President and CEO, Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN)
Why This Network Matters
Thursday, October 22, 2026
- 8:30 AM Opening Remarks: Cecilia Dupecher, Vice President of Scientific Affairs, Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN)
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8:40 AM Patient Stories: Alexa Ercolano, Patient Advocate; Founder, The Lymphie Life Blog; living with primary lymphedema and Jennifer Carr, Patient Advocate; individual living with lymphedema
The Reason We Convene
o Patient need
o Gaps in coordination
o Why standardization and infrastructure matter
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9:00–10:00 AM – Session 1: The Vision & Potential of the COE Network; Moderator: Stan Rockson, MD, Allan and Tina Neill Professor of Lymphatic Research and Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine; Director, Stanford Center for Lymphatic and Venous Disorders; Founding Chair, Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN)
Defining a Shared International Agenda
Focus:
o What does it mean to function as a global network?
o What collective priorities rise above individual centers?
o What does success look like in 3–5 years? - 10:00–11:00 AM – Session 2: Collaboration Models & Shared Research Agendas
Moderators:
Dhruv Singhal, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School; Co-Director, Boston Lymphatic Center; Director of Lymphatic Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Louise Koelmeyer, OT, PhD, Director and Associate Professor, Australian Lymphoedema Education, Research and Treatment (ALERT) Program, Macquarie University, AustraliaFocus:
o Sister institutions / buddy systems
o Working groups by expertise
o Mapping strengths and gap
o Designing collaborative research frameworks - 11:00–11:15 AM - Coffee Break
- 11:15–12:15 PM - Session 3: Speaking the Same Language
Moderator: Nicole L. Stout, DPT, CLT-LANA, FAPTA, Senior Director, Survivorship and Wellness, American Cancer SocietyHarmonizing Diagnosis, Staging & Data Collection
Focus:
o Diagnostic criteria
o Staging alignment
o Shared terminology
o Minimum data elements
o Workflow integration - 12:15–12:20 AM - From Partnership to Progress: Role of Industry in Supporting Patient Care - Eric Ansart, President, Lympha Press
- 12:20–12:25 AM - "The US, Medical Compression Alliance" - Carmen Anderson, MS, CCC, SLP, USMCA
- 12:30–1:30 PM - Lunch
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1:30–2:30 PM - Session 4: Registry & Linked Biorepository
Moderators:
Stan Rockson, MD (as above)
Kristiana Gordon, MD (Res), FRCP, Consultant Lymphovascular Physician and Professor, National Lymphoedema Clinic, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust / St George’s University of London
Miikka Vikkula, MD, PhD, Professor of Human Genetics; Co-Director, de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels
Laurence Boon, MD, PhD, Center for Vascular Anomalies, Division of Plastic Surgery, Saint Luc University Hospital, UCLouvain, BrusselsBuilding Shared Translational Infrastructure
Focus:
o Registry activation
o Enrollment expectations
o Registry for quality improvement
o Linking biospecimens
o Governance & ethics
o Position infrastructure as the backbone of the network - 2:30–2:45 PM - Coffee Break
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2:45–3:45 PM - Session 5: Excellence Without Exclusion
Moderator: Melissa B. Aldrich, MBA, PhD, Associate Professor of Molecular Medicine, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston; Chair, LE&RN Centers of Excellence Steering Committee; LE&RN Board MemberMaintaining COE Standards While Expanding Access
Focus:
o Measuring excellence constructively
o Non-punitive benchmarking
o Supporting underserved/desert areas
o Mentorship models
o Are designations working? -
3:45–4:45 PM - Session 6: Imaging and Surgery in Lymphatic Care
Panel Discussion (with audience interaction) Moderators/Panelists:
Maxim Itkin, MD, Professor of Radiology; Director, Penn Center for Lymphatic Disorders and Center for Lymphatic Imaging and Interventions, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Joseph Dayan, MD, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon; Founder, Institute for Lymphatic Surgery and Innovation, Institute for Advanced Reconstruction
Alexandru Nistor, MD, PhD, Professor of Plastic & Reconstructive Microsurgery; Coordinator, European Center of Lymphatic Surgery, UZ Brussel / University Hospital Brussels
Philip Brazio, MD, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon; Co-Director, Comprehensive Lymphedema Center of Excellence, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles Clinical Integration & Workflow Optimization
Min-Jeong Cho, MD, Assistant Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Plastic Surgery Specialist, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James (OSUCCC – James), specializing in breast reconstruction, microsurgery, and lymphedema surgery
Corrado Campisi, MD, PhD, Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgeon; Specialist in Lymphatic and Microsurgery; President, International Society of Lymphology (ISL); Co-founder, Campisi Clinic, Genoa, ItalyFocus:
Challenges in implementing standards for imaging diagnostics and surgical therapeutics - 5:00–6:00 PM - Cocktail Hour
Friday, October 23, 2026
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8:30–9:30 AM - Session 7: Building a Clinical Trial-Ready COE Network
Moderators: Cheryl Brunelle, PT, PhD, Associate Director, Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema Research Program; Clinical Specialist, Physical Therapy, Massachusetts General Hospital; Louise Koelmeyer, OT, PhD (as above); and Eileen Heffernan, Chief Executive Officer, CelltaxisFocus:
o What defines trial-ready?
o Feasibility pipelines
o Identifying centers for multicenter trials
o Registry as recruitment engine
o Industry collaboration pathways -
9:30–10:30 AM - Session 8: The COE Network as a Platform for Innovation
Moderators/Suggested Speakers:
Kimberley E. Steele, MD, PhD, Program Manager, Health Science Futures, ARPA-H
Marie Wax, Senior Commercialization Advisor Lead, ARPA-HHow a coordinated network of Centers of Excellence can accelerate the translation and deployment of new technologies.
Focus:
o Translational deployment across a network of established centers
o Infrastructure and institutional readiness
o Moving innovation into real-world clinical settings
o Why belonging to the COE network creates opportunities for participation
o The future potential of the COE network as a platform for innovation - 10:15–10:45 AM - Coffee Break
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10:45–11:30 PM - Session 9: Making Innovation Real — From Technology to Clinical Adoption
Moderator/Speaker:
Natalie Heidrich, MS, Worldwide Lead, Reimbursement and Market Access, Medical Microinstruments, Inc. (MMI)
Nicholas Panetta, MD, FACS Chair, USF Health Department of Plastic Surgery, Director, TGH | USF Lymphedema CenterWhat it takes to bring a new technology into a clinical institution and successfully implement it.
o Institutional pathways for evaluating and adopting new technologies
o Reimbursement and market access
o Administrative and operational barriers
o Industry–center collaboration
o How the COE network can facilitate adoption and implementation -
11:30–12:30 PM - Closing Session: From Network to Action
Led by the LE&RN Centers of Excellence Steering CommitteeStructured Closing Segment
o Identify working groups
o Confirm collaborative research concepts
o Commitment statements from centers
o Define 24-month milestones
o What will be reported at next convening? - 12:30 PM - Boxed Lunch & Adjourn
- 1:00–3:00 PM - Steering Committee Business Meeting (closed session)
o Meeting Debrief
o New COE Designations
o New Application Forms
o 2027 Timeline
o Reporting Format