Immunomodulation may be the most important reason for avoiding blood transfusion. Dr Neil Blumberg brings decades of experience in the field to bear in his illuminating lecture highlighting this all-pervasive adverse outcome of blood transfusion.
Neil Blumberg, MD, is a Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and the Director of the Transfusion Medicine Division and Blood Bank of an 880 bed university hospital at University of Rochester. He received BS and MD from Yale University in New Haven, CT and had his Residency training in laboratory medicine, hematology and blood banking at Yale New Haven Hospital. Dr Blumberg’s particular interest is in transfusion immunology having participated in research into the previously unappreciated immunologic effects known as transfusion immunomodulation. His clinical interests are in the diagnosis and treatment of immune disorders such as autoimmune hemolytic anemia, autoimmune thrombocytopenia, supportive care for stem cell and solid organ transplantation, and mitigating transfusion side effects through leukoreduction, use of autologous transfusions and removal of stored supernatant through washing. His group, co-led by Dr. Joanna M. Heal MRCP, described the ill effects of transfusing ABO incompatible soluble antigen and antibody.
