Important Sanquin contribution at the European Conference on Donor Health and Management

Sanquin contributed valuble research findings and new ideas to the important field of donor studies at the third edition of the European Conference on Donor Health and Management (ECDHM). A large delegation of researchers from Sanquin’s Donor Studies participated in the conference that was held 5-7 September in Copenhagen, Denmark. 

Eva-Maria Merz, Katja van den Hurk and Wim de Kort were invited speakers at the conference that hosted 250 people from many different countries. Eva-Maria (photo right) talked about altruism and different behavioural mechanisms that explain blood donation and other types of giving (e.g. money). 

In a panel debate on hemoglobin and iron monitoring, together with professors Emanuele Di Angelantonio (Cambridge) and Henrik Ullum (Copenhagen), Katja (photo left) presented FIND’EM: the first (cluster-)randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of ferritin-guided donation intervals to improve iron and health status in donors. Results are expected in a few years.

She also plead for more uniform, yet individualized donor selection criteria across Europe in an invited lecture. This is currently being addressed in the EU-funded TRANSPOSE project with participants from 16 countries, initiated and coordinated by Sanquin.

Wim got people thinking about remunerated plasma collections and variability in donor deferrals between staff members. Furthermore, six selected abstracts were presented in oral and poster presentations. Tjeerd Piersma was awarded ‘best abstract’ with his abstract on blood donation across the life course.