When a person is in dire need of blood, a blood transfusion seems like a simple solution. A donor donates blood, and eventually a patient in need receives it. Yet, in reality this life-saving medical procedure, as safe as it may be, is not that simple.

Researchers show that some methods used in the manufacturing of red blood cell units may be less damaging to the cells, which could reduce adverse reactions in transfusion recipients. This work may impact the future of how blood is collected in North America and around the world.

"Implementing Choosing Wisely recommendations for transfusion medicine" is the 11th Annual Transfusion Medicine Education Videoconference taking place April 13, 2016. Registration is open!

Images from the Lazarus Research Group lab show some fascinating and potentially life-saving science in action.

Located in Vancouver, BC, near the University of British Columbia campus, our blood for research facility comprises a whole blood and apheresis donor clinic as well as a research and production laboratory.

" The ever-present need for innovative ways to combat dengue and other emerging viruses and pathogens has never been clearer."

One of our own medical experts helped bring believability to the newest season of The X-Files.

Wonder drug it may be, but IVIg is a slippery fish. Even after 60 years, little is known about precisely how it works. An encounter with a scientist The first thing you notice when you walk into Dr. Don Branch’s office at 67 College Street in Toronto is how small it seems. And colourful, owing to an impressive collection of memorabilia that suggests a full and perhaps eclectic life: show posters, photos of his family and small items such as those one would get from a student or colleague sharing an inside joke. Copious as they are, the richness-of-life souvenirs are nearly crowded out by

Led by Dr. Sandra Ramirez, a development scientist at Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation, this research project led to a new standard that will reduce the number of discarded red blood cell units. By Jenny Ryan and Patrick Walton The issue Since the 1970s, blood operators have limited the length of time red blood cells (RBCs) can be exposed to uncontrolled temperatures to 30 minutes. Called the “30-minute rule”, this international standard was put in place to keep cells usable and limit bacterial growth. However, it is not always possible to transfuse a patient within 30 minutes

A research, education. and discovery blog Did you know that we do research? Quite a lot of it, in fact. Last year, our research teams, working in our labs across Canada, published 250+ scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and presented 200+ posters or talks at major national and international conferences. Their discoveries have contributed to major advances in transfusion and transplantation medicine. It’s time we told these stories and introduced you to the fascinating people and places behind our research in blood science and transfusion medicine, cellular therapies (in particular