To encourage more young people to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and math, and in honour of Ada Lovelace Day 2017, we are pleased to share profiles of women in these essential fields at Canadian Blood Services.

In this six-part series, Dr. Jeannie Callum, a hospital-based transfusion specialist, shares her real-life experience witnessing the impact of blood donation on patient lives. She provides some fascinating insight into blood transfusion, past and present, and emphasizes the need for male donors and why some donors may be safer for patients. Read the complete series here.

Dr. Chantale Pambrun is an associate medical director at Canadian Blood Services, currently working at our Head Office in Ottawa. Previously she worked as the medical director of the laboratory at the IWK Health Centre – a women’s and children’s hospital in Halifax. While at IWK, Dr. Pambrun provided irradiated blood products for neonates and encountered the challenge of reducing donor exposure in neonates. Every unit of blood represents a donor exposure.

In this six-part series, Dr. Jeannie Callum, a hospital-based transfusion specialist, shares her real-life experience witnessing the impact of blood donation on patient lives. She provides some fascinating insight into blood transfusion, past and present, and emphasizes the need for male donors and why some donors may be safer for patients. Read the complete series here.

Paying it forward: Why we need YOU to give blood - Part 3 In this six-part series, Dr. Jeannie Callum, a hospital-based transfusion specialist, shares her real-life experience witnessing the impact of blood donation on patient lives. She provides some fascinating insight into blood transfusion, past and present, and emphasizes the need for male donors and why some donors may be safer for patients. Part 1: A miraculous gift, ready and waiting Part 2: Not your average bank Part 3: Blood type hype Part 4: Beyond matching ABO and Rh: Rare blood challenges and international cooperation Part 5: All

By Lisa Bendall, Health Writer This feature article was originally published in the Canadian Journal of Medical Laboratory Science (CJMLS) in Summer 2016. The CJMLS is a publication of the Canadian Society of Medical Laboratory Science. Please note that clarifications, updates and some additional content have been added (see italics) by Canadian Blood Services. Also note that within this article transfusion service providers (Canadian Blood Services' customers) are described as blood banks, banks, transfusion labs, hospitals and regional health authorities. Most days, across Canada, blood is

Part 2 in a six-part series by Dr. Jeannie Callum, a hospital-based transfusion specialist who shares her real-life experience witnessing the impact of blood donation on patient lives. Here she provides some fascinating insight into blood transfusion, past and present, and emphasizes the need for male donors and why some donors may be safer for patients.

Innovation150 series: As Canada celebrates 150 years we look back on Canadian innovations in transfusion and transplantation medicine over the years. A series of posts feature remarkable Canadian progress - past, present and future. Part 1: Dr. Lawrence Bruce Robertson and blood transfusion in the trenches of World War I Part 2: Wartime Service and Canadian Transfusion Medicine Part 3: Meet Canada's Blood-Typing Pioneers In our first three #innovation150 posts on this blog, we brought readers back in time to the early days of Canadian transfusion medicine born out of wartime need during WW I

In this six-part series, Dr. Jeannie Callum, a hospital-based transfusion specialist, shares her real-life experience witnessing the impact of blood donation on patient lives. She provides some fascinating insight into blood transfusion, past and present, and emphasizes the need for male donors and why some donors may be safer for patients.

A new study by Centre for Innovation scientist Dr. Heyu Ni and his research team at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto clarifies how maternal antibodies can cause fetal growth restriction and miscarriage, and introduces a new therapeutic target: natural killer cells.