Roubinian Receives ECDHM Best Oral Abstract Award

9/7/2018

Dr. Roubinian receives the award for Best Oral Abstract Presentation at the European Donor Health and Outcomes Congress in Copenhagen.   The presentation abstract titled, “Influence of Donor, Component, and Recipient Factors on Efficacy of Erythrocyte Transfusions” examined the role of blood donor, component and transfusion recipient factors on hemoglobin increments following red blood cell transfusion. Read more about the ECDHM Congress here.

Busch granted the 2018 IPFA Award

5/17/2018

Dr. Busch received the first annual IPFA Award at the 25th International Workshop held in Athens, Greece to recognize his exceptional scientific contributions to the study and prevention of Transfusion Transmitted Infections. Read more about the award and the selection process here.

Busch granted the 2018 ISBT Presidential Award

2/13/2018

The International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) has recently announced that the Foundation of Transfusion Medicine has granted the ISBT Presidential Award to Dr. Michael Busch, the Director of BSRI. This award is granted to those who have made eminent contributions to transfusion medicine through original research, the practice of transfusion therapy and significant service contributions to the field. Read more about the award and the selection process here.

Protective Immune Responses for Ebola survivors 40 years later

12/13/2017

In collaboration with UCLA, NIH and scientists within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), we have recently demonstrated that survivors of the first recorded outbreak of Ebola virus maintain potent protective immune responses over 40 years after infection. The BSRI Simmons Lab performed serological analysis for evidence of Ebola infection. Multiple serological assays such as ELISA were utilized for multiple virus proteins and algorithms for determining reactivity based on more than one assay. Read more about the serological assays developed for Ebola here. 

Blood Donations for Disease Research

11/6/2017

In a recent interview, Michael Busch discusses the FDA and CDC’s decision to require Zika testing for all blood donors. Those donations infected with Zika are flagged, and the nationwide testing allowed Busch and his team to pull samples and follow up with donors to try to enroll them in research studies, such as REDS-III Zika, helping to further assure the safety of the nation’s blood supply.

Using Biomarkers from HIV Patients to Find a Cure

10/20/2017

Dr. Satish Pillai and collaborators from the Gladstone Institutes, Stanford, UCSF, and Johns Hopkins University are taking on the challenge of identifying biomarkers that could speed up the development of a cure for HIV-infected individuals.  To find biomarkers, the researchers will use banked blood and plasma samples from HIV-infected volunteers who participated in various clinical trials. 

[Image posted with permission from Gladstone Institutes]