Research by Donor Physicians
Dr Niubel Díaz Padilla is coordinating the research program conducted by donor physicians within the Dept of Donor Medicine. She earned her Medical doctor degree in 1990 and completed PhD training in the Department of Immunopathology at CLB. In 2007 she defended her PhD thesis on Role of the plasma proteins IgM and C-reactive in ischemia reperfusion injury at the University of Leiden. Since 2010, she started as a donor physician at Sanquin.
By joining the Donor Health group at Sanquin Research, she brings her practical and scientific expertise into this research group. Her research interests are to use donor data to evaluate the safety of blood donation and to translate research findings into new donor medicine policies.
Introduction
Evidence-based policies are essential to ensure safety of blood donation and both the safety and efficacy of blood and plasma.
This research focuses on several key areas related to blood donation. First, it considers the eligibility criteria for blood donation among all donors including ethnic minority populations, aiming to address challenges in donor inclusion and compatibility. Additionally, the studies evaluate the safety of blood donation procedures and the quality of blood products to ensure optimal outcomes for both donors and recipients. Attention is also given to donor complications, exploring their causes and prevention strategies to enhance donor well-being. Finally, the impact of donor age on eligibility and donation outcomes is assessed to inform guidelines and policies for different age groups.
The research topics are :
Donor Health
Donor Retention
Donor Safety:
Key publications
Díaz Padilla N, Wiersum-Osselton JC, Ghasemi Nezjad S, Dijkshoorn G, Gonzalez-Garcia F, Novotny VMJ. Donors with repeated blood product discards for filtration problems, clots or hemolysis: Causes and follow-up. Transfusion. 2024 Apr;64(4):572-577
Paalvast Y, Díaz Padilla N, Bruijns S, Wiersum-Osselton J, Molenaar T. Donor complication rates in whole blood, plasma and platelet donors: Age versus experience. Transfusion. 2024 May;64(5):854-865
Baggio D, Fox LC, Wood EM, Aditya RN, Goldman M, van den Berg K, Kayser S, Wuchter P, Namba N, Tsuno NH, Makino S, Lee CK, Akhtar N, Shah F, Miflin G, Prati D, La Raja M, La Rocca U, Richard P, Tiberghien P, Harley RJ, Raouf MY, Sharma R, Kaur S, Bruijns S, Prakke-Weekamp H, Dunbar N. International Forum on Blood Donation in Individuals with Current, Past or Germline Predisposition to Malignancy: Summary. Vox Sang. 2023 Dec;118(12):1115-1121.
Van Zanten M, Smid WM, van den Burg P. False-positive viral marker results in blood donors and their unintended consequences: P. Kiely, V.C. Hoad, E.M. Wood. Vox Sang. 2019 Apr;114(3):290.
Wiersum-Osselton JC, Marijt-van der Kreek T, Brand A, Veldhuizen I, van der Bom JG, de Kort W. Risk factors for complications in donors at first and repeat whole blood donation: a cohort study with assessment of the impact on donor return. Blood Transfus. 2014 Jan;12 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):s28-36.
Wiersum-Osselton JC, Marijt-van der Kreek T, van Dongen R. Plasmapheresis in healthy donors in the Netherlands: cohort study of risk factors for donor complications. Transfus Apher Sci. 2013 Apr;48(2):163.
Working group : Donor Medicine Science Working Group
The Donor Medicine Science working group facilitates and supports scientific research conducted by donor physicians working at Sanquin. The aim is to inspire donor physicians to engage in scientific research. The group also provides guidance to help them improve their skills in searching for and evaluating medical literature. Every two years, the group organizes a course titled “How to Write a Research Proposal.” Four times a year, it publishes a quiz on a scientific article in the Weekly Bulletin. In addition, the group collaborates with donor physicians on literature reviews to support the development of improved policies.
Members:
Niubel Díaz Padilla, PhD: Senior Donor Physician, portfolio holder for science
Gerrit Hengeveld, MD: Senior Donor Physician
Rashid Mardin MD: Senior Donor Physician
Nienke Hoksbergen Pape MD: Donor Physician