Celebrating Dr. Jason Acker’s election to the Royal Society of Canada

Canadian Blood Services congratulates Dr. Jason Acker on his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, one of the highest honours for scholars, artists, and scientists in Canada.   

Election to the Royal Society of Canada recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to knowledge and innovation in their fields. Fellows are nominated and elected by their peers in recognition of their achievements.   

At Canadian Blood Services, Dr. Acker is a Senior development scientist, and leads research focused on improving how blood products are manufactured, stored, and used. As a leader in cryobiology, transfusion medicine, and biopreservation research for more than two decades, he studies how cells, tissues and organs respond when stored outside the body and develops new ways to preserve them safely for use in patient care. 

His research is helping improve the quality, safety and availability of blood products and advance how cells, tissues and organs are preserved for transfusion and transplantation.  

Dr. Acker also helps train the next generation of scientists at the University of Alberta where he is a Professor and Associate Vice President (Research Integrity Support).  

His election to the Royal Society of Canada is the latest in a series recognizing his contributions to science and patient care. These include the King Charles III Coronation Medal (2025), Fellowship in the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2023), the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (2022) and Fellowship in the Society for Cryobiology.  

Together, these honours speak to the impact his work has had in Canada and internationally.  

"Dr. Acker's election to the Royal Society of Canada reflects both the excellence of his research and his commitment to translating discovery into real-world impact. His contributions have helped advance transfusion and transplantation science while improving the safety and effectiveness of therapies that benefit patients in Canada and around the world. Training in the Acker lab has launched the careers of many persons now making their own contributions to transfusion science, both within Canadian Blood Services and in the broader community." 

Dr. William (Bill) Sheffield, Director Research, Innovation, Canadian Blood Services.  

Read Dr. Acker’s bio on blood.ca.  

Canadian Blood Services – Driving world-class innovation  

Through discovery, development and applied research, Canadian Blood Services drives world-class innovation in blood transfusion, cellular therapy and transplantation—bringing clarity and insight to an increasingly complex healthcare future. Our dedicated research team and extended network of partners engage in exploratory and applied research to create new knowledge, inform and enhance best practices, contribute to the development of new services and technologies, and build capacity through training and collaboration. Find out more about our research impact.  

The opinions reflected in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Canadian Blood Services nor do they reflect the views of Health Canada or any other funding agency.