The 2021-2022 Canadian Blood Services’ Lay Science Writing Competition launched this week! This year’s theme invites trainees to use plain language to tell their “Science behind the scenes” stories.

Several competitive training and funding programs to support graduate fellowships and educational and research projects are open for applications until November 15! Read on to learn more about these opportunities and hear about past recipients.

The transfusion medicine traineeship support administered by Canadian Blood Services was recently renamed to honour Dr. Elianna Saidenberg — an expert in hematopathology and transfusion medicine and an inspirational physician and educator — who passed away in late 2019.

Canadian Blood Services recently published its annual Surveillance Report, a summary of monitoring efforts related to transmissible infection testing in donors; possible transfusion-transmitted infections in recipients; and new, emerging pathogens. Surveillance also includes monitoring of donor safety.

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.

Postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Basit Yousuf, describes his experience attending and presenting at the 10th annual Norman Bethune Symposium.

Dr. Catherine Jenkins, scientist and LGBTQ+ advocate, is part of our effort to evolve donor screening questions.

An article recently published on the Canadian Blood Services’ professional education website looks back on the impact of the pandemic on blood donation in Canada.

Through the Centre for Innovation’s competitive funding programs, Canadian Blood Services conducts and supports researchers and research projects in key areas. Recipients for one of our most dynamic programs, the BloodTechNet Award, were recently announced, and several other funding opportunities are now open for applications.

Our research is improving patient safety for those who need intravenous immune globulin (IVIg), a drug used to treat autoimmune diseases. By increasing our understanding of an unexpected, potentially life-threatening side effect of IVIg therapy, our studies can help doctors better predict which patients are most at risk and take steps to protect them.