Dr. Geraldine Walsh
Dr. Geraldine Walsh is a scientific writer with the Canadian Blood Services’ Centre for Innovation. A PhD scientist with a passion for communication, Geraldine supports Canadian Blood Services’ research and development scientists with writing, editing and preparing manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals. Geraldine was captivated by the fascinating topic of blood during her graduate studies at The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (in Dublin, her hometown). During her PhD, she studied blood platelets, the little cell fragments that maintain the delicate balance between clotting and bleeding in our bodies. Today, her role as scientific writer allows her to combine a love of science with a love of writing and a real dedication to quality science communication.
Research supports safety, feasibility of sexual behaviour-based screening
Tuesday, June 21, 2022
In late April 2022, Canadian Blood Services’ research-informed request to remove eligibility criteria specific to men who have sex with men and instead use sexual behaviour-based screening for all donors was approved by Health Canada. Read on to learn about two published studies from Canadian Blood Services that contributed to the body of evidence supporting this change.
Science writing behind the scenes
Thursday, June 09, 2022
We teamed up with Science Borealis and the Centre for Blood Research to deliver the 2021-2022 Canadian Blood Services Lay Science Writing Competition. In a recently published blog post, Science Borealis interviewed the winner of that competition, Alexandra Witt, to learn about her creative process and how she crafted a winning piece of writing.
The value of qualitative research
Friday, May 20, 2022
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.
Nominations open for the Lifetime Achievement Award 2022
Monday, April 25, 2022
Consider submitting a nomination for this prestigious award that recognizes individuals whose landmark contributions are recognized as both extraordinary and world class in the field of transfusion or transplantation medicine, stem cell or cord blood research in Canada and/or abroad. You have until May 16, 2022 to get your nominations in!
Lay Science Writing Competition Winner: What does it take to make a life-saving drug?
Thursday, April 21, 2022
Read the entry that was awarded first place in this year’s “Science behind the scenes” Lay Science Writing Competition! Congratulations to the winner, graduate student Alexandra Witt. She identified high school students as her target audience and wrote an engaging piece that sheds light on the questions scientists ask when developing a new drug.
Product resiliency: future-proofing our product portfolio
Thursday, March 31, 2022
Dr. Cyrus Eduljee, associate director of portfolio management at Canadian Blood Services, explains how his group’s work supports the organization in bringing new products to the shelves and the importance of ensuring the organization is well prepared to withstand future shocks.
Introducing pathogen-reduced platelets
Thursday, March 24, 2022
In January 2022, Canadian Blood Services introduced pathogen-reduced platelets, a product that is manufactured using pathogen-inactivation technology, at its Ottawa production site. By effectively damaging the nucleic acids of a number of pathogens, pathogen inactivation further reduces the risk of transfusion-transmitted infections—an especially important safeguard against new or emerging pathogens, or pathogens for which tests are not available.
Science behind the scenes: Lay Science Writing Competition winners announced
Friday, March 18, 2022
The Canadian Blood Services Lay Science Writing Competition supports our trainee network to develop communication skills by challenging them to showcase their research using plain language.
Student advocates, plasma donation and the pandemic
Thursday, February 24, 2022
A study conducted last year by Canadian Blood Services’ social scientist, Dr. Kelly Holloway, shows challenges and opportunities for on-campus student advocates as they engage with their peers to encourage blood and plasma donation, all while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whole blood for transfusion: development work supports operational feasibility
Thursday, February 10, 2022
Development work by Canadian Blood Services’ product and process development group lays the groundwork for greater operational flexibility for blood operators looking to introduce whole blood for transfusion.