Journeys in research: Canadian Blood Services’ trainee Dimpy Modi shares her story
Congratulations to Dimpy Modi who successfully defended her PhD thesis this month, April 2026. Dr. Modi received a Canadian Blood Services Graduate Fellowship Program award for her research on “Anemia-induced bleeding in thrombocytopenic patients with blood cancer” in 2023. Through personal reflections, photos, and quotes, this story offers a glimpse into the meaningful contributions of emerging researchers and the value of mentorship, collaboration, and purpose-driven science. Join us in celebrating Dr. Modi’s achievement and Canadian Blood Services trainee experience, described below in her
April 16, 2026
Jun 8 8:00 am | Virtual
Patient, Family, Donor Research Forum
Patient, Family, Donor Research Forum The theme of the PFD forum is “Pathways for Partnership: Centring Indigenous Priorities in Donation and Transplant Systems”. The program will bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous national and international speakers, including persons with lived
Dec 1 8:00 am | Edmonton, AB / Hybrid
CDTRP 2026 Scientific Meeting
The Canadian Donation and Transplantation Research Program Registration is open for the CDTRP 2026 Scientific Meeting, taking place December 1–2, 2026, in Edmonton, AB and online, followed by the From Bench to Business: Commercial Pathways in Immunology Diagnostics Workshop on December 3. Join
Journeys in research: Trainee experiences supporting knowledge exchange, part 3 Saifur Chowdhury
The Monthly Science Seminar series described in the blog below is an example of one of the knowledge mobilization activities organized to support effective knowledge sharing, connection, and collaboration among members of Canadian Blood Services’ innovation and portfolio management (I&PM) internal research network. Each year, trainees in Canadian Blood Services’ research network are invited to volunteer as MSS Series Organizing Committee members. By emphasizing the importance of effective science communication and knowledge translation, this opportunity to engage in session planning is
April 9, 2026
Journeys in research: A trainee’s reflections on qualitative research focused on patient experiences with CAR-T therapy
Sneha Negi is a biomedical sciences student at Carleton University with a health science honors major. She is currently completing a term as a research placement student with Dr. Jennie Haw, a Canadian Blood Services scientist and adjunct research professor at Carleton University. While building her qualitative methodology expertise, Sneha has been exploring what patients receiving the chimeric antigen receptor therapy (CAR-T) have to say regarding their experience, opinions, access and outcomes of the therapy. Read more about her work as she describes it in this blog. Understanding CAR-T
April 2, 2026
New research publications: March 2026
Each month, our R.E.D. blog showcases the activities of our research and education network and the innovation and collaboration that drives our scientific community forward. Included in these activities are the peer-reviewed publications in academic journals that are a main avenue for researchers to share their scientific findings. With a focus on methodology and a rigorous review process prior to publication, these publications are recognized as credible and reliable sources of scientific information.This blog – part of a reoccurring monthly recap – provides an overview of the latest research
April 1, 2026
How Canadian Blood Services’ research and education activities support continuous improvement in blood and plasma donor wellness
Donors are the foundation of a blood system and their ongoing voluntary participation supports a secure and sustainable blood supply that saves lives. Every day, Canadian Blood Services collects these lifesaving donations, carefully processes and distributes them coast to coast to meet the diverse needs of patients and healthcare systems. Our world is continuously changing and so is the donor base. To adapt to these changes, Canadian Blood Services uses an interdisciplinary research and education network to continuously improve the donor experience and prioritize donor wellness. This blog
March 31, 2026
Apr 28 12:00 pm | Toronto/Virtual
Topic: Updates to the ISBT Blood Group Database for Clinical Transfusion Medicine
Presented by Dr. Sheharyar Raza MD, FRCPC Canadian Blood Services Learning objectives Understand the basics of genotyping nomenclature in the ISBT table Learn to use the new digitized ISBT BG database for clinical case interpretation Gain basic familiarity with genome browsers and navigating them
Apr 14 12:00 pm | Toronto/Virtual
Journal Club: Thromboelastography or rotational thromboelastometry guided algorithms in bleeding patients
Presented by Dr. Ali Tabatabaey MD, Physician Trainee Canadian Blood Services Learning objectives Review VET guided treatment algorithms and their impact based on appraisal of the paper. Additional Reference Material: Article 1 Article 2 Registration Click here to register Appraisal Click here for
Apr 7 12:00 pm | Toronto/Virtual
Topic: Interesting inherited and acquired bleeding cases
Presented by Dr. Shannon Jackson MD, FRCPC West Coast Hematology Learning objectives Review the approach to bleeding in acquired bleeding disorders Discuss the considerations for bleeding when patients with inherited hemophilia A or B are taking novel therapies Discuss the management of bleeding in