The 11th annual Centre for Blood Research Norman Bethune Symposium was held on April 6, 2022. With a focus on recent research advances in bleeding and thrombosis, the symposium engages scientists and clinicians at all levels of training.

In this week’s post, three Master’s students describe how their research interviewing young adults about blood donation policies helped them understand the real value of qualitative research. Their insights highlight the value of this type of research to inform Canadian Blood Services as the organization looks to evolve donor screening approaches and engage more young people - the blood donors of the future.

The AABB Annual Meeting is considered a must-attend event for those wishing to learn about cutting edge research and technology advances in blood banking and transfusion medicine and science. Two Centre for Blood Research trainees describe their experiences at AABB 2020 – an international, high profile conference attended from the comfort of their own homes due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Postponed in April 2020, the Centre for Blood Research’s annual Norman Bethune Symposium moved to an online format and was held on Sept. 9, 2020. We heard from some Canadian Blood Services research trainees about the symposium and their experiences presenting their work in the “new normal” virtual format, which included a research showcase via Twitter.

The AABB Annual Meeting is a must-attend event for those in the fields of transfusion medicine and cellular therapies. AABB 2019 took place last month in San Antonio, Texas. Canadian Blood Services trainees Dr. Narges Hadjesfandiari and Dr. Olga Mykhailova were there and report back on meeting highlights.

On the May 30, an eager group of Canadian Blood Services trainees gathered In Calgary, Alta. for the Centre for Innovation’s Research Trainee Workshop. The attendees spent the day at the Eau Claire donor centre to learn about donor selection criteria, the blood donor experience, and the art of science blogging.