Funding opportunities currently open

Canadian Blood Services' Centre for Innovation currently has four competitive funding competitions open for applications. All close on November 30, 2018. Read on to see if you or any of your colleagues or students are eligible for these exciting opportunities! Canadian Blood Services' Graduate Fellowship Program The Graduate Fellowship Program provides stipend support for young investigators who want to initiate or continue training in the field of blood transfusion and transplantation science. The maximum value of each fellowship is $25,000 per annum, with an additional travel allowance of $1
October 23, 2018

Meet the Director: Dr. Chantale Pambrun

Get to know Dr. Chantale Pambrun, Director, Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation Previously led by Judie Leach Bennett, who joined the executive management team as Vice-President, General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer, Dr. Chantale Pambrun took over as Director of the Centre for Innovation in December 2017. She was formerly associate director, donor and clinical services and, prior to joining us at Canadian Blood Services, she was the Medical Director of Hematopathology at a tertiary health care centre for women and children in Halifax, NS. Image To get to know Dr. Pambrun better
October 16, 2018

Research Unit: Exploring alternatives to fresh blood

Our latest Centre for Innovation ResearchUnit is a collaborative effort between Centre for Innovation adjunct scientist, Dr. Jelena Holovati, and Canadian Blood Services scientists, Dr. Donald Branch and Dr. Jason Acker. For patients with rare blood types, we perform cross-matching tests to match patients with donors and avoid potentially serious transfusion reactions. One such test – the monocyte monolayer assay – has been limited in its usefulness by practical restrictions, for example, the need to obtain a fresh blood sample. Exploring alternatives to fresh blood, the researchers developed
October 10, 2018

Do you suffer from FOMO?

Do you suffer from FOMO? Fear of missing out! Fear no more, the event page on Canadian Blood Services' professional education website has you covered! This is your one-stop shop to learn more about local, national and international education events covering blood, plasma and transfusion, organ and tissue donation and transplantation, as well as hematopoietic stem cells. Here you’ll find a searchable and easy-to-view calendar of conferences, lectures, courses and more. Check it out! Be THAT person – the one who never misses an abstract deadline or early bird registration rate! And - to event
October 2, 2018

May 15
12:00 pm | Webinar

Journal Club: Intravenous iron isomaltoside improves hemoglobin concentration and iron stores in female iron-deficient blood donors: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial

Speaker Pierre-Aurèle Morin, MD Transfusion Medicine Physician Trainee, McMaster University, Hamilton Objectives Review the prevalence, risk factors and clinical impacts of iron deficiency in blood donors Evaluate the possible approaches to prevent and treat iron deficiency in this population

Mar 13
12:00 pm | Webinar

Journal Club: Intravenous immunoglobulin-associated hemolysis

Speaker Hanadi AlJedani, MD Transfusion Medicine Physician Trainee, Dalhousie University, Halifax Objectives Overview on intravenous ummunoglobulin products, manufacturing, indications Overview IVIG-related hemolysis and related published studies Discussion of the journal club article Reference

Feb 13
12:00 pm | Webinar

Journal Club: Impact of donor sex on outcomes after transfusion

Speaker Pierre-Aurele Morin, MD Transfusion Medicine Physician Trainee Objectives Review the known and potential impacts of female donor blood products on recipients Appraise the article and consider the impact of pregnancy on such outcomes Consider the possible implications of this risk on the

Apr 21
8:00 am | National

National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week

National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week (NOTDAW) raises awareness about the critical need for more donors across the country and encourages Canadians to register their decision and to talk to their loved ones about organ donation. The year 2017 marked the 20th anniversary of National Organ

Jan 9
12:00 pm | Webinar

Journal Club: Factors affecting patient-reported outcomes after red blood cell transfusion in medical patients

Speaker Matthew Yan, MD Transfusion Medicine Physician Trainee University of Toronto Objectives Review the concept of patient-reported outcomes in medicine Discuss the utilization of patient-reported outcomes in transfusion Critically review and appraise the article: Factors affecting patient

Jun 13
12:00 pm | Toronto/Webinar

Journal Club: Emergency transfusion of patients with unknown blood type with blood group O Rhesus D positive red blood cell concentrates

Speaker Shadhiya Al Khan, MD Transfusion Medicine Fellow Canadian Blood Services University of British Columbia Objectives Become aware of outcome of a transfusion policy of transfusing all emergency patients with unknown blood type with O RhD+ PRBCs. Anti D alloimmunization rates in different RhD