Steven Drews

Dr. Steven Drews completed his PhD at the University of British Columbia in Experimental Medicine (Infectious Diseases) and did his clinical microbiology training at the University of Toronto. At Canadian Blood Services, he provides guidance on transmissible diseases testing, microbiology, and infectious diseases issues. Prior to this, he was a microbiologist at the Provincial Laboratory for Public Health Alberta and the head of the province-wide influenza and acute respiratory viral diagnostics program.

Dr. Drews also previously served as head of molecular diagnostics for the Public Health Ontario Laboratories. He has significant experience representing diagnostic microbiology and public health laboratories at provincial, national, and international committees. He has held faculty positions at both the University of Toronto and the University of Calgary. Dr. Drews is currently a full Professor in Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Alberta, Edmonton and the director, medical microbiology with Canadian Blood Services.

Research areas

• microbiology
• emerging pathogens
• assay development
• transfusion-transmissible diseases
• infectious diseases immunology​

Other appointments

• Co-chair, ISBT Emerging Pathogens and Parasitology Subgroup
• Member AABB Transfusion-Transmitted Diseases Committee
• Biological Safety Officer, Canadian Blood Services
• Full member, Canadian Institutes of Health, College of Reviewers

Research interests

Dr. Steven Drews’ research focuses on a wide range of pathogens of clinical importance to humans. He has published extensively on viruses and bacterial agents. Dr. Drews has also focused on transfusion-transmitted pathogens. Although his career journey has had some very different arcs, it has solidified around a focus of enabling Canada and the international community to respond to infectious diseases agents that cause outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics.