This article was originally published in the April 2025 edition of Héma-Québec’s Magazine. All issues of the Magazine are available here.

Donating to research: Another great way to give

To bring major scientific studies to life, our research teams need a large number of biological samples. 

Most research samples of precious products like blood, plasma and mother’s milk come from people who for one reason or another do not meet our donor eligibility criteria.

With the withdrawal of exclusion criteria for men who have sex with men (MSM) and people with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, the number of people turned away from donating has gone down significantly. This on its own is great news, of course! But at the same time, it reduces the pool of potential donors for research. Although researchers can use the unneeded components from regular donations in some studies, there is still a pressing need for donations for research purposes.

People who want to contribute to research can show their interest and give consent when they make their donation, whether it’s at a donation centre or a mobile blood drive. They can also sign up for a newsletter to stay in the loop of our studies and results. For the moment, only people who live in the Québec City area are allowed to register for research donations.