Central Blood Bank is excited to be participating in a research network that will be making, with the help of our valued donors, important contributions in transfusion medicine. We are currently one of six blood collection centers in the country participating in a research study sponsored by the National Institute of Health’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The purpose of this research is to ensure the safety and availability of blood in the United States. The name of the research network is Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study-II (REDS-II).


The REDS-II network will conduct several studies which may include:

• Monitoring the blood supply to detect any emerging diseases

• Identification of antibodies that cause transfusion difficulty in patients

• Studies that help keep donors healthy

• Ways to encourage more eligible people to donate blood

To gather information for these studies, Central Blood Bank donors may be asked to complete a supplemental information form each time they donate. The information Central Blood Bank donors provide as part of their blood donation process will be incorporated into the research that may in the end refine blood donation eligibility requirements. The research will last several years.

Donors can share in our excitement by participating in these innovative REDS-II studies, if asked. Our research recruiters are present at select donor centers throughout the area and can provide a more detailed explanation of the studies that are currently underway.