The Centre for Innovation’s Dr. Heyu Ni has been honoured by induction into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. Considered one of the highest honours for Canadian academics, Dr. Ni’s election as a Fellow is a recognition of the excellence of his work as a leader in Canadian health sciences.

Transfusion Camp is an educational program established by the University of Toronto QUEST program that teaches physicians how to use blood wisely. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we questioned whether Transfusion Camp could continue.

In 1964, a seminal paper described the “waterfall” sequence of coagulation, representing a huge leap in our understanding of how blood clots. One of its authors, Dr. Earl W. Davie, a giant of blood coagulation research, died in June 2020 at the age of 92. We reflect on his legacy.

Dr. Isra Levy is in charge of medical and scientific support for all aspects of Canadian Blood Services’ work — how does he prepare for this job during a pandemic? To better understand what crisis leadership is, I asked Isra to share the lessons he has learned through his leadership journey.

A research team that includes experts from Canadian Blood Services and the McMaster Centre for Transfusion Research showed that genotyping red blood cell proteins could help make transfusions safer for patients with sickle cell disease.

COVID-19 has brought major implications for blood transfusion practices: uncertain demand patterns, reduced donations and loss of staff. A recent publication synthesizes studies that address the transfusion chain and provide guidance during times of potential or actual shortage. Dr. Mindy Goldman, medical director at Canadian Blood Services, is one of the study’s authors.

In 2017, Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec launched a research program dedicated to advancing donor eligibility criteria specific to men who have sex with men. In November 2019, the blood operators hosted a knowledge synthesis forum in Toronto to bring stakeholders together and see where this research stands. A report from this forum is now available on blood.ca.

Dr. Jennie Haw is a scientist at Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation. As a sociologist, she’s interested in understanding how health and health systems relate to the individual and society. As we celebrate Cord Blood Awareness Month this July, we sat down with Dr. Haw to talk about her research and its impact on cord blood banking.

Did you know that there’s a wealth of information available on the Canadian Blood Services’ Professional Education website to help transfusion medicine health-care professionals as they navigate the COVID-19 pandemic?

The 2020 competitions for two of the Centre for Innovation’s most important and impactful research and training funding programs are now open. The Blood Efficiency Accelerator Program supports projects that improve the use of blood products. The Postdoctoral Fellowship Program offers salary support for young investigators undertaking full-time research training in a Canadian research laboratory affiliated with Canadian Blood Services.