Nancy Heddle

Canadian Blood Services’ Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the blood system in Canada. This year, the honour goes to distinguished research scientist, Professor Nancy Heddle of Hamilton, Ontario.

Professor Heddle trained as a medical laboratory technologist. In 1977 she became manager of transfusion services at McMaster University Medical Centre. After she completed a master’s degree in health research methodology in 1992, Professor Heddle incorporated clinical research into the hospital transfusion laboratory, working to identify new approaches to improve the effectiveness and safety of transfusions.

In 2001 Professor Heddle left her position to develop a clinical transfusion research group at McMaster in collaboration with Canadian Blood Services. She has served as the Director of what is now the McMaster Centre for Transfusion Research (MCTR) for 15 years. Today, MCTR has research faculty members, biostatisticians, research coordinators and research assistants addressing a wide variety of transfusion questions.

Professor Heddle’s specific areas of research have included: understanding and preventing acute transfusion reactions to blood products, aspects of care for persons with hemophilia, blood utilization, and assessing the impact of blood storage and processing methods on patient outcomes.

Today Professor Heddle supervises residents in hematology and pathology as well as fellows training in transfusion medicine, and masters students in health sciences. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to education, the Professor Nancy Heddle Award in Teaching Excellence was established by McMaster in 2013.

Throughout her career, Professor Heddle has published countless scientific papers and regularly presents her research internationally. She has also received over 15 national and international awards including the International Woman in Transfusion Award from the International Society of Blood Transfusion, the Emil von Behring Award given by the German Society of Blood Transfusion, and the Emily Cooley Award from the American Association of Blood Banks.

In 2009 she became a Professor in the department of medicine at McMaster, and also holds associate membership in the departments of Pathology and Molecular Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She has been an adjunct scientist with Canadian Blood Services for over 15 years, and has served as a faculty member for the American Society of Haematology’s Clinical Research Training Institute for four years.

In 2016 she “semi-retired,” becoming Professor Emeritus at McMaster University; however, her retirement lasted less than 24 hours as she returned to MCTR part-time continuing in a role as Research Director. She continues to hold an adjunct scientist position and also sits on Canadian Blood Services’ Scientific and Research Advisory Committee.

Professor Heddle credits her many accomplishments to her primary mentors, Dr. Morris Blajchman and Dr. John Kelton, the outstanding researchers and laboratory staff she has worked with, colleagues from Canadian Blood Services, and a family she adores.

Professor Heddle plans to continue to give back by contributing mentorship and research support as well as providing inspiration and guidance to future generations of transfusion medicine trainees.