May 13, 2025 MUHC Medical Grand Rounds by Dr. Jacob Pendergrast, University of Toronto

Title: Transfusion Support of Sickle Cell Disease: A Balancing Act
Speaker: Dr. Dr. Jacob Pendergrast, University of Toronto,
Medical Director, University Health Network Blood Transfusion Service

MUHC Hybrid Medical Grand Rounds Tuesday, 5/13/2025 at 12h00-13h00,
Division of Hematology

Educational objectives:
1.Outline the principles of RBC transfusion in sickle cell disease
2.Define accepted indications for RBC transfusion in sickle cell disease
3.Recognize the syndrome of hyperhemolysis and the importance of careful RBC selection in preventing it

Biosketch of Dr. Dr. Jacob Pendergrast, University of Toronto:
Jacob Pendergrast graduated in 1999 from Dalhousie Medical School in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and completed his training in internal medicine, hematology, and transfusion medicine at the University of Toronto before taking a staff appointment at the University Health Network, where he serves as Medical Director of the Blood Transfusion Service. He also works as a clinical hematologist and has been treating patients with hemoglobinopaths in the Toronto General Hospital’s Red Blood Cell Disorders Clinic since 2004. At the University of Toronto, he is ranked as Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, with a cross-appointment in the Department of Medicine. Dr.Pendergrast holds a position of Clinician Investigator with the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute and is a founding member of the QUEST research collaborative, which focuses on issues of Quality, Utilization, Education and Safety in Transfusion Practice. His own research interests have centred on transfusion support for hemoglobinopaths, education in serology, and adverse transfusion reactions.