Our community mourns the recent loss of our colleague and friend, Kristin Page Chartrand, MD, MHS, MEd, after fighting a months-long illness.

Kristin was born in Cedar Rapids, IA, on June 7, 1974. Kristin, along with her brother, Joel Page were raised in Falmouth, MA, by their wonderful parents, Allan and Janice Page. In 2002, Kristin married Doug Chartrand they had three amazing children: Nate, Anna, and Mea.

She began her professional career as a high school science teacher and moved on to become a pediatric physician and researcher—finding joy in pursuing advancements in cancer research and even more comfort in taking care of families during their difficult journey.

In February 2021, Kristin joined CIBMTR as the Senior Scientific Director of Data Operations and as Scientific Director of the Acute Leukemia Working Committee. She also served in the role of Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Children’s Wisconsin. Prior to joining CIBMTR, she developed significant expertise in various aspects of transplant and cellular therapy including focusing on data, quality, and informatics, at Duke University.

Kristin was warm, affectionate, funny, endlessly helpful, and a complete pleasure to work with. She loved meeting new people, heading into new situations, and helping however she could. She quickly became known throughout the CIBMTR community and formed relationships with many in the US as well as internationally. She grew our partnerships with several international groups including EBMT and SBTMO.

Kristin had a major impact across the organization—working closely with all groups to improve our data and drive innovation. She made important contributions to practice-changing research, such as in MRD. One of her most significant achievements was, with Larisa Broglie, MD, MS (CIBMTR Scientific Director), developing and pioneering the Working Committee Training and Leadership (WCTL) program. She had a passion for teaching, mentorship, and elevating the next generation of leaders in our field. From building a curriculum to arranging team building and making the best graphics with Canva (another thing she was good at!), she threw her energy and “spare time” into ensuring success for young investigators. She also played an integral role in mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows through work at Duke, the Medical College of Wisconsin, and ASH-a-Palooza. In honor of Kristin’s work and impact, the CIBMTR Working Committee Training and Leadership program will now be known as the CIBMTR Page Scholars.

Outside of work, Kristin loved gardening, baking, and most importantly spending time with family and friends. Kristin had numerous roles in her amazing life, however, the role that she cherished the most was that of “mom.” Spending time with her three children Nate, Anna, and Mea was her life’s passion.

Kristin made numerous important contributions to CIBMTR—many of which will have a long-lasting impact. We will all miss her greatly.

Many colleagues and friends also offered words about Kristin, here are a few of them:

“She was one of the most impressive people I have met. She was such a wonderful mentor and advocate for all of us. She will be missed. “ Brian Ball, WCTL participant Non-Malignant WC

“She was a fearless leader and will be missed!” Jenny Saultz, WCTL participant Immunobiology WC

“I am completely speechless. What a loss for all of us.” Mariam Nawas, WCTL participant Acute Leukemia WC

“She has left an everlasting mark in this world personally and professionally and will be sorely missed. Her legacy will live on.” Najla El Jurdi, WCTL participant GVHD WC

“Kristin was such a wonderful person. I’m saddened at losing her as a mentor and advocate and I’m sure I only was exposed to a sliver of all the wonderful things she has done. She went above and beyond and will truly be missed.” Megan Herr, WCTL participant Donor and Recipient Health Services

“My heart is hurting from the loss of such a beautiful soul. I had so much love and respect for her.” Nelli Bejanyan, Acute Leukemia WC Chair

“It is hard to process. To me, Kristin has always been more than just a director—she’s like a teacher, consistently kind and supportive. Having her as my Scientific Director during my first year at CIBMTR has been truly fantastic. I still cherish the memory of our wonderful yacht trip in San Antonio at the 2024 Tandem. This moment, along with many others, will always be missed.” Dylan Liu, Acute Leukemia WC Statistician

“You said it perfectly, she was “warm, affectionate, funny, endlessly helpful, and a complete pleasure to work with”. She lived the “work hard and be nice to people” ethic. Kristin was an amazing advocate for early career faculty even as she grew her own career.” Christopher Hourigan, Acute Leukemia WC Chair

“I also echo what others have written and remember Kristin’s great dedication to the field of BMT and her tireless efforts in this regard. She stepped into the role of Scientific Director for the Acute Leukemia Working Committee effortlessly and carried the mission of our committee along without us missing a beat.” Mark Litzow, Acute Leukemia WC Chair

“I can only echo everyone’s words and share your profound sense of loss. I met her 5 years ago as I was just starting in this field and she became one of my best mentors and advocates. It is a true loss.” Alexandra Gomez-Arteaga, Acute Leukemia WC PI and mentee

“As one of Kristin’s mentees, she was instrumental in my professional growth and always provided unwavering support. Kristin had a unique ability to inspire and uplift those around her.” Firas El Chaer, Acute Leukemia WC PI and mentee