The Centre for Blood Research (CBR) is a multidisciplinary biomedical research institute, situated primarily at the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top thre ...

(UBC) and affiliated teaching hospitals in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with nodes at the

University of Northern British Columbia The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) is a small, research-intensive public university in British Columbia, Canada. The main campus is located in Prince George, with additional campuses located in Prince Rupert, Terrace, Quesnel, and ...

and at the

University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary insti ...

. Its mission is to improve the health and well-being of patients by performing innovative research in blood and blood-related processes. The CBR is home to more than 40 research groups that employ a broad range of basic science, biotechnological, engineering and clinical investigative methods to address blood and blood-related science and health-related questions. CBR research groups are led by chemists, biologists, biochemists, pathologists, immunologists, geneticists, engineers, psychologists, sociologists, dentists, pediatricians, hematologists, oncologists, virologists and microbiologists, who are based in the Faculties of Medicine, Applied Science and Engineering, Arts, Sociology, Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Science and Science.

History

The reason for creating a multidisciplinary research institute with a focus on blood emanated from a

Royal Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada The tainted blood disaster, or the tainted blood scandal, was a Canadian public health crisis in the 1980s in which thousands of people were exposed to HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products. It became apparent that inadequatel ...

in the 1980s when

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

and

hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes ( jaundice), poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal ...

entered the Canadian blood supply. Among many recommendations, Judge Krever called for a renewed emphasis on research excellence in the broad area of blood and blood transfusion. In 2002, a group of professors from the University of British Columbia (UBC) led by the founding director of the CBR, Dr. Ross MacGillivray, gathered a team of scientists, engineers, social scientists and clinicians with expertise in a range of disciplines who could in combination address blood-related issues and health problems more effectively than they could individually. Financial support for CBR research infrastructure and training and education programs was provided by the Universities of British Columbia, Victoria and Northern British Columbia, the

Canadian Blood Services Canadian Blood Services ( French: ''Société canadienne du sang'') is a non-profit charitable organization that is independent from the Canadian government. The Canadian Blood Services was established as Canada's blood authority in all provinces ...

(CBS), the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, the

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada is a Canadian charity dedicated to advocacy, education, and the funding of research surrounding heart disease and stroke. Nomenclature In November 2016, the organization re-branded as ''Heart & Stroke ...

, the

Province of British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

, the

Canadian Institutes of Health Research The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR; french: Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada; IRSC) is a federal agency responsible for funding health and medical research in Canada. Comprising 13 institutes, it is the successor to the M ...

(CIHR), the

Canada Foundation for Innovation The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI; french: Fondation canadienne pour l'innovation, ''FCI'') is an independent not-for-profit organization that invests in research facilities and equipment in Canada's universities, colleges, research hospital ...

(CFI), and several industrial partners.

Major areas of research

Education and outreach

The CBR attempts to promote public awareness of the potential value of blood-related research for improving patient health. Training and education programs have been established at the CBR for scientists and clinicians interested in pursuing careers in the field of blood and blood-related processes.

References

External links

Centre for Blood Research (CBR) WebsiteCentre for Blood Research Facebook PageCanadian Blood Services (CBS)Life Sciences Institute, UBCUniversity of British Columbia (UBC)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Centre For Blood Research University of British Columbia Organizations based in Vancouver Medical and health organizations based in British Columbia Blood