Brian Custer, Ph.D., M.P.H.

Current Position:

• Associate Investigator, Epidemiology and
  Health Outcomes Research, BSRI

Contact Information:
270 Masonic Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94118
Phone: (415) 901-0756
Fax: (415) 901-0733
Email: bcuster@bloodsystems.org

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Download a curriculum vitae [pdf file]

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Education:

• B.S., Biology, University of Oregon
• M.P.H., Epidemiology, University of Washington
• Ph.D., Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research and Policy, University of Washington

Training/Appointments:

• Affiliate Assistant Professor, Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research and Policy Program, University of Washington

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Research Interests:

• Cost-effectiveness and related studies of blood safety and transfusion medicine interventions
• Blood supply adequacy, donor deferral, and donor return behavior following donation
• Risk factors in donors who test positive for HIV, HCV, HBV, and HTLV
• Donor reported symptoms and outcomes of infections such as West Nile virus and Trypanosoma cruzi
• Transfusion epidemiology including descriptive studies of blood component utilization and post-transfusion survival

Publications

Associations between West Nile virus infection and symptoms reported by blood donors identified through nucleic acid test screening. Custer B, Kamel H, Kiely NE, Murphy EL, Busch MP. Transfusion 2009 Early Online Published: Nov 3, 2008.

Cost-effectiveness analysis: what it really means for transfusion medicine decision making. Custer B, Hoch JS. Transfusion Medicine Reviews. 2009 Jan;23(1):1-12.

Faint and pre-faint reactions in whole-blood donors: an analysis of predonation measurements and their predictive value. Wiltbank TB, Giordano GF, Kamel H, Tomasulo P, Custer B. Transfusion. 2008 Sep;48(9):1799-808. Epub 2008 May 14.

Modeling red cell procurement with both double-red-cell and whole-blood collection and the impact of European travel deferral on units available for transfusion. Madden E, Murphy EL, Custer B. Transfusion. 2007 Nov;47(11):2025-37.

The consequences of temporary deferral on future whole blood donation. Custer B, Chinn A, Hirschler NV, Busch MP, Murphy EL. Transfusion. 2007 Aug;47(8):1514-23.

The cost-effectiveness of screening the U.S. blood supply for West Nile virus. Custer B, Busch MP, Marfin AA, Petersen LR. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2005 Oct 4;143(7):486-92. Summary for patients in: Ann Intern Med. 2005 Oct 4;143(7):I44.

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