In memory of Dr. Dana Devine – cherished colleague, mentor and friend

A message from Canadian Blood Services CEO, Dr. Graham Sher

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that Dr. Dana Devine, our former chief scientist and a beloved member of the Canadian Blood Services community, has sadly passed away. Dana was a deeply respected and cherished colleague whose work in transfusion medicine and blood research helped shape our organization from its inception in 1998. Having retired in January 2023, her impact here is near impossible to measure. She was a brilliant mind, trusted colleague and friend to so many; it’s difficult to put this loss into words. 

During her remarkable career, Dana’s impact went far beyond benefiting our own organization and the Canadian blood system. Her many leadership roles throughout her career have also left an enormous footprint on the field of transfusion medicine internationally. 

Dana joined Canadian Blood Services in 1998 and arrived with an unwavering dedication to advancing blood and transfusion research. She was a groundbreaking scientist and also a mentor and friend to many, bringing wisdom, generosity and a wonderful sense of humour to her work. In 1999 Dana became the first director of research and development, pioneering a program that became the envy of many systems around the world. In 2007, she was appointed vice-president of the medical affairs and innovation division and in 2018 she assumed the role of Canadian Blood Services’ chief scientist.  

Throughout her career, Dana ensured others were brought along with her in her success. She dedicated countless hours to mentoring younger minds in her field, to creating opportunities for under-represented groups within the teams she managed. With a particular focus on supporting women and new Canadians, Dana vastly increased representation from these groups in her lab at UBC, as just one example of the type of person she was. Her intellect, which was profound, was matched and perhaps even surpassed by her compassion and desire to support others. 

In addition to her illustrious career at Canadian Blood Services, Dana served with distinction as a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine in the faculty of medicine at the University of British Columbia, and as a founding member, and later director, of the university’s Centre for Blood Research. She also served as president of AABB, editor-in-chief of ISBT’s journal, Vox Sanguinis, and president of Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion. Her impact on transfusion medicine and research truly knew no bounds. 

She will be remembered with great admiration and her memory will be kept alive through an organizational commitment to excellence and an unrelenting focus on patient safety, both values that Dana epitomized in her work.

My condolences go out to Dana’s family and friends for this great loss.