Stem Cells

Nominations now open for the 2020 Canadian Blood Services Lifetime Achievement Award


Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Do you know of an individual whose contributions might be worthy of the Canadian Blood Services Lifetime Achievement Award? To receive this honour, a nominee’s landmark contributions must be recognized as both extraordinary and world class in the field of transfusion or transplantation medicine, stem cell or cord blood research in Canada and/or abroad. Nominations are open until May 19, 2020.

Funding research to improve blood products and the blood system – call for applications!


Thursday, January 30, 2020
The 2020 competition for one of the Centre for Innovation’s most exciting and impactful research funding programs is now open. The Intramural Research Grant Program is a long-standing program that supports research to improve the safety and efficacy of blood products and the blood system in general.

Top 5 blog posts of 2019


Tuesday, January 07, 2020
Welcome to 2020! Take a look back with us by checking out the five most visited R.E.D. blog posts in 2019.

AABB 2019 – A knowledge infusion for our trainees!


Thursday, November 14, 2019
The AABB Annual Meeting is a must-attend event for those in the fields of transfusion medicine and cellular therapies. AABB 2019 took place last month in San Antonio, Texas. Canadian Blood Services trainees Dr. Narges Hadjesfandiari and Dr. Olga Mykhailova were there and report back on meeting highlights.

Dr. Donald Branch honoured by AABB for his career achievements


Thursday, November 07, 2019
Last month, Dr. Donald Branch, a scientist at Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation and professor at the University of Toronto, received a prestigious international award honouring his more than 40 years of major contributions to transfusion medicine and hematology.

Memories of CST 2019


Thursday, October 24, 2019
The 2019 Canadian Transplant Summit took place Oct. 15-19 in iconic Banff, Alta. This annual event is a unique opportunity to bring together medical professionals, scientists, patients and stakeholders of all interests in organ donation and transplantation from across Canada.

Lay Science Writing Competition open for submissions!


Tuesday, October 01, 2019
Stories underlie all research experiences, but these stories are rarely told. The Centre for Innovation is excited to launch its second annual Lay Science Writing Competition and give our research trainees the chance to tell those stories!

Dr. Donna Wall wins lifetime achievement award


Friday, September 27, 2019
With a medical career spanning almost 40 years, Dr. Donna Wall has made significant contributions to the evolution of blood and marrow transplantation across North America. After completing paediatric and paediatric hematology/oncology training in the U.S., Dr. Wall went on to establish blood and marrow transplantation and public cord blood programs in cities including St. Louis and San Antonio. Among her many other collaborations, Dr. Wall has contributed to the transplant community upon her return to Canada. She helped launch Canadian Blood Services’ Cord Blood Bank and served on the

Stem cell transplantation pioneer wins lifetime achievement award


Thursday, September 26, 2019
With a focus on improving the lives of patients living with autoimmune diseases, transplant physician and scientist Dr. Harold Atkins has dedicated his career to discovering innovative methods for stem cell transplantation. In the late 1990s, Dr. Atkins and neurologist Dr. Mark Freedman proposed a novel way to stop the progression of early aggressive multiple sclerosis (MS) by completely wiping out a patient’s immune system, followed by a stem cell transplant. Their idea was first received with skepticism by the medical community. In 2016, however, The Lancet (one of the most prestigious peer

Centre for Innovation scientist recognized for his contributions to the field of cryobiology


Thursday, September 19, 2019
Centre for Innovation scientist Dr. Jason Acker was recently inducted as a Fellow of the Society for Cryobiology, a prestigious international award that recognizes individuals who have had an exemplary impact on the field of cryobiology. Congratulations to Dr. Acker, who received this award over the summer at the Society for Cryobiology’s annual meeting in San Diego.