In the realm of medical advancements, innovations which improve blood donation are not just interesting discoveries but can have an immense impact. Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions can be lifesaving for many recipients, yet, behind the scenes, a complex interplay of factors affects the quality of these RBCs stored under carefully controlled conditions. Recent research has shed light on an important aspect of this process: the impact of blood donor age. In this blog, we delve into a groundbreaking study and its editorial counterpart that offer fresh perspectives on how age might influence the

Awa Diagne, a Loran scholar and research assistant at Canadian Blood Services, contributed to a project called “Piloting and evaluating a community-led strategy for diversifying the stem cell registry” as part of a summer internship. This project was initiated by Canadian Blood Services’ stem cell team in May 2022. A summer internship at Canadian Blood Services In May 2023, I joined the donation policy and studies team at Canadian Blood Services to complete a summer internship as a research assistant. This opportunity was the third internship I had completed as a Loran scholar at the