Originally aired: Thursday, 11th November, 2025
This free webinar was open to all and featured expert discussion and lived experience on the topic of Choosing Your Next Treatment: What FL Patients Should Know.
Watch the full webinar below:
About the Session
Dr. Mitchell Smith, FLF’s CMO will guides this important discussion with world renowned clinical lymphoma expert Prof Kim Linton (University of Manchester), and FL survivor and entrepreneur Ari Akerstein.
Together, the panel discusses and shares insights on what matters most to doctors and patients when navigating their next treatment options.
Whether you’re living with FL yourself, supporting or caring for a loved one, this session provides vital knowledge, expert guidance, and a personal story of resilience.
Key Topics include:
Dr Mitchell Smith has an extensive educational background, having earned his Medical Degree and PhD from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH. He has also completed several residencies and fellowships, including a Fellowship in Medical Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in NY. Dr Smith’s career has also spanned many years and institutions, including serving as Director of the Lymphoma Program at Fox Chase Cancer Centre and Director of the Lymphoid Malignancy Program at the Cleveland Clinic. See our full series of webinars, where Dr Smith chairs the sessions, and brings clinical, scientific and patient expertise to each discussion.
Professor of Medical Oncology at the University of Manchester and an Honorary Consultant at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Prof Linton is a leading global expert in lymphoma. She is passionate about improving treatments and quality of life for people living with and beyond cancer. She leads and contributes to many national and international clinical trials, working on new therapies and real-world studies that aim to make cancer care more effective and personalised.
Her research also looks at the long-term effects of cancer treatment, how to detect and prevent side effects earlier, and how new technologies can help tailor care to each individual. One of FLF’s key research programs that we fund is the PETReA Plus study, led by Prof Linton. Alongside her research, Prof Linton plays a key role in several UK and European lymphoma research groups and supports national charity Lymphoma Action as a medical advisor. She is also committed to training the next generation of cancer doctors and scientists. Prof Linton has published over 100 research papers and regularly speaks at national and international conferences. Her work continues to drive forward progress in lymphoma treatment and survivorship care.
Ari Akerstein is a Silicon Valley Product Leader with 15+ years of experience driving innovation in AI, HealthTech, and consumer technology at companies including Facebook, Walmart Labs, and Included Health. In 2018, Ari was diagnosed with lymphoma, a life-changing moment that transformed him from a healthy father of three into a patient navigating complex treatment decisions. He now leads a health tech accelerator, CancerHacker Lab helping founders build patient-centric solutions using the latest technology. His current focus is building the platform he wished he had as a patient and caregiver to others at Navis Health AI.
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This webinar series is supported by sponsorship from AstraZeneca, Genmab, AbbVie, Ipsen and Incyte.
All of the above have had no influence on, control of, nor input into the development or performance of the webinar series.
