Product Development

The American Red Cross has a dedicated team of scientists whose goal is to conduct basic and applied research concerning platelet and red cell physiology, storage and function, both independently and through collaboration with others. Our sponsored research assists companies with licensing studies for new blood products, new storage containers, platelet and red cell additive solutions, leukoreduction, irradiation, frozen blood, cell processing and washing, anaerobic storage, and pathogen inactivation.

Contact Us

Dr. Stephen Wagner, PhD

Senior Director, Holland Lab for the Biomedical Sciences

Pam Whitley

Research Scientist-Manager - Radiation Safety Officer - Co-Principal Investigator for Research

Dr. Philip Howard, PhD

Medical Director, Mid-Atlantic and Appalachian Regions - Principal Investigator for Mid-Atlantic Research

Current Projects

The development of a new platelet additive solution, Fixsol, which improves the storage of platelets by removing citrate.
The evaluation of an alternate way of storing platelets with lessened bacterial risk compared to room temperature stored platelets but better in vivo recovery and survival than cold stored platelets.
The role of %SO2 in red cell quality showing that patient adverse events are associated with degradation in storage. (See Image Left)

Recent Publications

Getz TM, Turgeon A, Wagner SJ. Sodium citrate contributes to the platelet storage lesion. Transfusion 2019;59:2103-12.

Vostal JG, Gelderman MP, Skripchenko A, Xu F, Ying L, Ryan J, Cheng C, Whitley P, Wellington M, Sawyers S Handley S, Wagner SJ. Temperature cycling during platelet storage improves in vivo recovery and survival in healthy volunteers. Transfusion 2018;58:25-33.