Research evidence helps support submission to change donor screening Transfusion Blood Thursday, January 13, 2022 Dr. Geraldine Walsh A significant step In December 2021, Canadian Blood Services made a submission to Health Canada to focus donor screening criteria on higher-risk sexual behaviour, regardless of gender or sexuality, for all blood donors and all phlebotomy collection types. This is the latest and most significant step in a process that began over a decade ago, and that…

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Top 5 blog posts of 2021 Transplantation Organs and Tissues Plasma Stem Cells Transfusion Blood Friday, December 31, 2021 Catherine Lewis As we begin a new year, look back with us at the top five blogs of 2021. Unsurprisingly, our readers were most interested in information about the COVID-19 pandemic.   1. Why getting a COVID-19 vaccine shouldn’t stop you from donating blood  There’s no waiting period after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. This extremely popular blog post…

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Earl W. Davie Symposium 2021 – a welcome return to in-person for some Plasma Transfusion Blood Tuesday, December 21, 2021 Dr. Geraldine Walsh Hosted by the Centre for Blood Research (CBR), the 15th Earl W. Davie Symposium in early November 2021 was the first in-person professional event I have attended since late 2019. Arriving that morning at UBC Robson Square in Vancouver felt just like the numerous other CBR Symposia I’ve attended over the years.…

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2021 Lifetime Achievement Awards recognize eminent Canadian researchers Plasma Stem Cells Transfusion Blood Thursday, December 16, 2021 Dr. Geraldine Walsh During November’s Honouring Canada’s Lifeline award ceremony, three distinguished Canadian researchers were recognized with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Each a world-leading expert with numerous outstanding achievements during their distinguished careers, Dr. Gilles Delage, Dr. Heather Hume and Dr. Mel Krajden are deserving awardees. Dr. Gilles Delage Dr. Gilles Delage is an internationally recognized specialist in transfusion…

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Understanding a rare clotting disorder associated with some COVID-19 vaccines Blood Thursday, December 09, 2021 Tricia Abe Discoveries made by a research team from McMaster University are providing vital information about a rare but sometimes fatal clotting reaction associated with COVID-19 vaccines that use adenovirus vectors. The McMaster team included Dr. Donald Arnold, who leads the McMaster Centre for Transfusion Research, a program within Canadian Blood Services’ supported research network. The team described the first…

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Our professional education website has a new look! Transplantation Organs and Tissues Plasma Transfusion Blood Tuesday, November 30, 2021 Tricia Abe We’re excited to launch a brand-new look for the Professional Education website, Canadian Blood Services’ resource hub for health-care professionals working in transfusion medicine or as part of the organ and tissue donation and transplantation community. The new design makes it easier to find and use valuable resources, whether it’s a clinical guideline, best…

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2020-2021 annual progress report – A year marked by agility, collaboration, innovation, and excellence Organs and Tissues Plasma Stem Cells Transfusion Blood Tuesday, November 30, 2021 Dr. Geraldine Walsh Rising to the challenge For Canadian Blood Services and its research and education network, the last fiscal year (April 2020 to March 2021) was marked by the continuing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. As you’ll read in our Centre for Innovation 2020-2021 annual progress report, what…

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2021-2022 lay writing competition - submit your “science behind the scenes” stories! Transplantation Organs and Tissues Plasma Stem Cells Transfusion Blood Thursday, November 04, 2021 Dr. Geraldine Walsh Lay Science Writing Competition launched Nov 2, 2021 Once again, Canadian Blood Services is delighted to partner with the Centre for Blood Research at the University of British Columbia to host this competition, which supports our trainee network to develop vital communication skills by challenging them to showcase their…

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Open funding opportunities from Canadian Blood Services Transplantation Organs and Tissues Plasma Stem Cells Transfusion Blood Thursday, October 28, 2021 Dr. Geraldine Walsh Funding to drive innovation and education DYK, Canadian Blood Services has multiple competitive funding programs open to Canadian researchers, educators and trainees interested in pursuing projects focused on Canadian Blood Services priorities? Through these programs, Canadian Blood Services drives innovation in blood transfusion, cellular therapy, and transplantation, and builds capacity through training…

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A spotlight on summer student research Stem Cells Transfusion Blood Monday, October 18, 2021 Guest Author This post was originally published on the CBR blog on September 2, 2021 as: “CBR-SBME Research Day 2021: A Spotlight on Summer Student Research”. It was written by Ardin Sacayanan, CBR-SBME summer student alum from the Laksman Lab, and David Chen, CBR-SBME summer student alum from the Kizhakkedathu Lab. Ever wondered how you can make artwork with biological reagents found in…

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