International team concludes convalescent plasma is not effective for treating COVID-19 Transfusion Blood Friday, September 10, 2021 Guest Author   Amie T. Kron is the clinical research coordinator in transfusion medicine at Sunnybrook Research Institute in Toronto and is a member of the University of Toronto QUEST program, a research collaborative supported by Canadian Blood Services. Dr. Jeannie Callum is a Transfusion Medicine Specialist and Hematologist at Kingston Health Sciences Center and Professor in the Department…

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Improving red blood cell inventory to support patients with sickle cell disease Transfusion Blood Tuesday, September 07, 2021 Tricia Abe The importance of having a blood supply from ethnically diverse donors—one that can meet the needs of all patients—is brought sharply into focus for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Sickle cell disease is an inherited life-threatening condition that is more common in Black and other racialized people. People living with SCD need regular blood…

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Honouring Dr. Ed Conway: A symposium on blood and blood-related disorders Transfusion Blood Thursday, August 12, 2021 Marie-Soleil Smith This post was originally published on July 22, 2021, on the Centre for Blood Research blog. Dr. Ed Conway is a Canadian Blood Services’ adjunct scientist. Canadian Blood Services and the Centre for Innovation are proud to partner with the Centre for Blood Research to deliver training and education events. At the end of 2020, Dr.…

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ISBT In Focus 2021 Stem Cells Transfusion Blood Tuesday, August 03, 2021 Dr. Geraldine Walsh “ISBT In Focus”, which took place virtually in June 2021, offered themed sessions in two time-zones to ensure as many delegates as possible could take part, and used state-of-the-art lectures and interactive sessions. I chatted to two Canadian Blood Services delegates who attended the congress: senior scientist, Dr. Sandra Ramirez-Arcos, and postdoctoral fellow in Ramirez-Arcos’ laboratory, Dr. Sylvia Ighem Chi.…

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Reducing platelet wastage while on the move Transfusion Thursday, July 22, 2021 Dimpy Modi Despite the critical and increasing demand for platelets within the health-care system, they remain the most commonly discarded blood component in Canada. Why are they so frequently wasted? Improper storage outside of the hospital blood bank is the main reason that platelets get discarded before they’ve reached the end of their 7-day shelf life. The goal of a study conducted by…

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Reducing platelet wastage while on the move Transfusion Thursday, July 22, 2021 Dimpy Modi Despite the critical and increasing demand for platelets within the health-care system, they remain the most commonly discarded blood component in Canada. Why are they so frequently wasted? Improper storage outside of the hospital blood bank is the main reason that platelets get discarded before they’ve reached the end of their 7-day shelf life. The goal of a study conducted by…

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Mapping convalescent plasma distribution with Canadian Blood Services funding Plasma Thursday, July 15, 2021 Massimo Cau Dr. Andrew Shih recently received funding from the Centre for Innovation to process map the implementation of the CONCOR-1 convalescent plasma trials in British Columbia – work that may inform and improve future clinical trials. Dr. Shih talks to Massimo Cau, a PhD Candidate at the Centre for Blood Research, about his research plans.   This blog was originally published…

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Diverse talks that informed and inspired – Norman Bethune Symposium 2021 Plasma Transfusion Blood Friday, July 09, 2021 Dr. Basit Yousuf The 10th Norman Bethune Symposium was held in May 2021. This annual Centre for Blood Research symposium honours the work of Dr. Norman Bethune, and features scientists and clinicians discussing hemostasis, blood transfusion and critical care.  A virtual event for the second year, the symposium was attended by speakers and participants from across North…

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Laying the groundwork for a more inclusive blood system Plasma Transfusion Blood Thursday, June 24, 2021 Jessica Cunha Dr. Catherine Jenkins   Editor’s note: this story and the details shared are with the permission of Dr. Catherine Jenkins. Content warning: please be aware this article contains references to transphobia. As Canadian Blood Services moves toward more inclusive screening criteria for donors, Dr. Catherine Jenkins is bringing her perspective to that work as a scientist, LGBTQ+ advocate…

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CBR travel awards support scientists' learning at the AABB 2020 Virtual Conference Transfusion Blood Friday, June 04, 2021 Canadian Blood Services trainees This post was written by Dr. Mona Khorshidfar and Wayne Zhao, both of whom are members of Dr. Dana Devine’s laboratory at the Centre for Blood Research. The post was originally published on the Centre for Blood Research blog. Read that original post here.    The Centre for Blood Research (CBR) Travel Award provides…

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