Riccardo Saccardi, MD, passed away on February 19 following a battle with cancer.
Dr. Saccardi was an internationally renowned hematologist and scientist who focused most of his work on advancing the fields of autologous hematopoietic cell transplant (AHCT) and cellular therapy. He also took interest in AHCT in multiple sclerosis (MS) and worked closely with MS New Zealand (MSNZ).
Most recently, Dr. Saccardi was the director of cellular therapies and transfusion medicine at Careggi University Hospital in Florence, Italy, but he held several other roles over the course of his career. He was medical director of the Joint Accreditation Committee ISCT-Europe & European Bone Marrow Transplant (EBMT) from 2016 to 2020 and of the Autoimmune Diseases Working Party of the EMBT from 2004 to 2010.
“His dedication to the MS community will not be forgotten, and we want to celebrate his life and contributions,” MSNZ said in an obituary.
He is survived by his wife, family, and friends.
