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The Research Institute is dedicated to advancing blood safety worldwide through scientific research, education and the promotion of evidence-based policies.
Established more than 50 years ago, the Research Institute has become a world-renowned institute engaged in research ranging from blood donor epidemiology to cellular therapy to virus discovery.
The Research Institute has state-of-the-art equipment to support research related to blood and blood product safety in the areas of molecular biology, immunology, virology, tissue culture, cell processing and epidemiology.
The Research Institute supports the education and training of the next generation of researchers through fellowships, internships, mentoring and classes conducted in San Francisco and around the world.
12/5/2023
We're excited to share an intriguing article titled "Structural insights into the modulation of coronavirus spike tilting and infectivity by hinge glycans", published in the Nature Communications.
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8/31/2023
: In this blog post, Vitalant research and medical affairs leaders reflect on the efforts that paved the way for more inclusive FDA blood donation eligibility guidelines that maintain the safety of the blood supply. Read more.
8/14/2023
The Vitalant Innovation Center is a dedicated space to pioneer improvements and collect and prepare investigational blood products for research. Read more.
Vitalant Research Institute, in partnership with the American Red Cross, Creative Testing Solutions, Westat, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces the launch of a groundbreaking program aimed at monitoring the incidence and clinical consequences of respiratory viruses in the United States. Read more
Vitalant will play a key role at the 2024 AABB Annual Meeting in Houston, with 10 program chairs and seven speakers participating in 15 sessions, highlighting its leadership in advancing blood and biotherapies. Read More
The Vitalant Innovation Center is uniquely helping advance the science of transfusion medicine. Read More
The San Francisco location of Vitalant’s research arm, Vitalant Research Institute (VRI), has moved to a new downtown San Francisco location at 360 Spear Street. The new location provides modern laboratory space for the Research Institute to continue advancing blood safety world-wide through scientific research, education, and the promotion of evidence-based policies. Read More
Although there has been no evidence of transfusion-transmitted SARS-CoV-2 resulting in COVID-19 and the U.S. blood supply is extraordinarily safe, researchers from Vitalant, the American Red Cross, New York Blood Center and Bloodworks Northwest set out to assess to what degree SARS-CoV-2 could find its way into the blood supply from pre-symptomatic donors, and what if any impact it could have on patient care. Read more
This summer, Vitalant Research Institute Director Emeritus and Vice President Michael Busch, M.D., Ph.D., became president of the International Society of Blood Transfusion. Read more
Vitalant Research Institute’s tradition of excellence in lifesaving research will continue under new leadership, as founder and Director Michael Busch, M.D., Ph.D., begins to wind down his storied career and transitions to a new role as director emeritus of Vitalant Research Institute while continuing as a vice president of research and scientific programs within Vitalant. After an extensive external and internal search, Brian Custer, Ph.D., M.P.H, was selected to lead the Research Institute as director and senior vice president of research and scientific programs with Vitalant. Read more
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated on Feb. 11, promotes full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls, as well as honoring the achievements of women in the field.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Org (UNESCO0 Science Report, women account for only 33% of the world’s researchers1. Here at Vitalant, women play vital roles across the organization, including at the Vitalant Research Institute.
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Each year, America’s Blood Centers (ABC) recognizes individuals, civic groups, media and corporations for their commitment to community and national blood programs through their Awards of Excellence program. Vitalant has been recognized with two awards this year: The illustrious Thomas F. Zuck Lifetime Achievement Award for Dr. Michael P. Busch and Outstanding Public Relations Campaign for the COVID Rescue Team. Read More
The largest nationwide SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence survey, funded by the CDC and supported by 17 blood collection organizations representing blood donations from across all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, published its latest findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). More than 1.5 million samples from blood donations were tested over 11 months, estimating an 83.3% rate for combined infection- and vaccine-induced antibodies, among other observations. Read More
Vitalant is launching the Vitalant Innovation Center in Denver, Colorado, a key part of the Vitalant Research Institute. Vitalant is investing in the Innovation Center as part of its commitment to advancing the science of transfusion medicine. The center will provide scientific research and translational development expertise to design innovative processes for Vitalant and bring new products to the patients it serves. Read More
Blood collection organizations, testing laboratories and affiliated research institutes continue to play a critical role in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and blood centers across the country are proud to be at the forefront. Read more
Explore our past and present research. Explore our distinguished investigators and staff. Explore the Research Institute.