Cell Therapeutics in Trauma and Critical Care: Barriers in Translation from Pre-clinical to Clinical Development conference took place December 3-4, 2012 at UCSF's Mission Bay Conference Center. The goal of this workshop was to bring together the expertise and input of blood bankers, clinicians running trials, basic scientists, companies, NIH, DOD and regulatory agency representatives to discuss barriers to translation of cell therapies in trauma and critical care medicine, an area with few effective therapeutic options. A review of the meeting is expected to be published in early 2013.

For the past 10 years, The Scientist’s Best Places to Work in Academia surveys have asked academic researchers to highlight the aspects of work they value the most—such as support, access to great research, and collaborations—as well as areas they wish their institutions would improve, such as appropriate family-care policies. More than 1,100 full-time life scientists working in academic or noncommercial research institutions responded to this year’s survey. In this year’s survey, researchers around the world said they valued the personal satisfaction their workplace offers above all else. BSRI was ranked 10th on latest survey. http://the-scientist.com/2012/08/01/best-places-to-work-academia-2012/

On September 19th 2011 BSRI held its annual scientific retreat at the Headlands Center for the Arts. The program was a look back at HIV at 30, infectious diseases and their impact on transfusion medicine. BSRI Scientific Director, Michael Busch and Blood Centers' Herbert Perkins were joined by distinguished speakers Don Francis, MD, DSc of Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases whose career has focused on identifying and eradicating infectious diseases around the world and most notably led him into the heart of the HIV AIDS crisis which has been chronicled in the non-fiction book And The Band Played On; Jay Levy, MD, Director of the Laboratory for Tumor and AIDS Virus Research at UCSF who in 1983 independently discovered the AIDS virus, HIV, that he originally called the AIDS-associated retrovirus (ARV); Michael Houghton, PhD, Li ka Shing Professor and holder of the Canada Excellence in Research Chair in Virology within the Institute of Virology at the University of Alberta who with his lab at Chiron Corporation discovered the hepatitis C virus, developed blood tests and identified new drug targets for this virus.

From L to R: Don Francis, Mike Busch, Jay Levy, Herbert Perkins, Michael Houghton

BSRI and UCSF play key roles in NHLBI program. This $87.2 million international research program, REDS-III, extends a highly successful program assessing blood banking and transfusion medicine. Research conducted under the seven-year program will focus on improving transfusion benefits and reducing its risks. BSRI is serving as the Central Laboratory as well as coordinator for the international program in Brazil. For more details on REDS-III, please visit: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/new/REDS-III-FactSheet.htm

Sheila Keating selected as CHAVI Young Investigator-of-the-Month for January 2011. The CHAVI Scientific Leadership Group has selected Sheila Keating, PhD, MSPH of the Blood Systems Research Institute as the CHAVI Young-Investigator-of-the-Month for January. This award recognizes outstanding young investigators who have made significant contributions to the CHAVI mission and who have been nominated by their mentors for their exceptional leadership and valuable research. To read more please visit https://chavi.org/modules/announcements/index.php?id=2

Senior Investigator, Eric Delwart, interviewed for This Week in Virology. Hosts Vincent Racaniello and Rich Condit travelled to BSRI to speak to Dr. Delwart about his work on virus discovery. To listen to this netcast visit http://www.twiv.tv and select episode #86.

Delwart lab findings gain mention in This Week in Virology blog and netcast. The host, Professor Vincent Racaniello, outlines the methods and results found in the Delwart lab's latest collaborative publication "Viral nucleic acids in live-attenuated vaccines: detection of minority varients and an adventitious virus" in the Journal of Virology. To listen to the netcast visit http://www.twiv.tv and select episode #77.

The Herbert Perkins Scientific Lectureship and Award has been established by Blood Systems, Inc. to honor the major contributions to transfusion medicine, cellular therapy and to the education and training of scientists, fellows, physicians and medical technologists in these fields by our founder, Herbert Perkins, MD. The award will sponsor a distinguished scientific speaker at the California Blood Bank Society (CBBS) annual meeting.

RECIPIENTS

• Harvey Alter, MD, Harvey Alter, MD, Distinguished NIH Investigator, Chief, Clinical Studies, Associate Director of Research Department of Transfusion Medicine, NIH Clinical Center (2012) - "Hepatitis C: The Beginning of the End"
• Sherrill J. Slichter, MD, Director of Platelet Transfusion Research, Puget Sound Blood Center and Professor of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine (2011) - "Recent Developments in Platelet Transfusion Research."
• Susan Stramer, PhD, Executive Scientific Officer at American Red Cross (2010) - "TTD-Emerging Pathogens-Where are We Going?"
• James C. Zimring, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pathology at Emory University School of Medicine (2009) - "Transfusion Induced Bone Marrow Transplant Rejection: Cellular Immunity to Minor Histocompatibility Antigens on RBCs."

Eric Delwart, Ph.D., Senior Investigator at BSRI is featured in a film extra entitled Cautionary Tale: The Science of I Am Legend which can be found on the extended DVD release of the motion picture I Am Legend. Dr. Delwart was interviewed for the short film that explores the science behind Legend's plot, a viral outbreak. The short film features experts from various disciplines who discuss the possibility and probability of a worldwide viral pandemic.