Meet Our Volunteers

Volunteer Spotlight and Member Highlights

Exciting news! AABB’s Professional Engagement Program will be showcasing all of the great work our members do for AABB and the world at large.

Our PEP Volunteer Spotlight will consist of a short Q&A with one of our members published each month in AABB News. Our members play an integral role here at AABB and we want to share their accomplishments.

Member Highlights can be any volunteer accomplishment directly involved with AABB and will change as new highlights are added. These highlights may range from publications, committee work, webinars and everything in between!

We are currently soliciting names of individuals to showcase for the coming year in either our Volunteer Spotlight or a Member Highlight capacities. If you or a fellow AABB member are interested, please email us at PEP@aabb.org.

AABB Volunteer Spotlight on Monica B. Pagano, MD

Division Head of Transfusion Medicine and Medical Director of Transfusion Services at the University of Washington Medical Center
Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington

How long have you been an AABB member?

I became an AABB member during my transfusion medicine fellowship year in 2012.

In which AABB volunteer activities are you currently active? In which have you participated?

I currently serve as a member of the Clinical Transfusion Practice Committee (CTMC). I very much appreciate the task of this committee to provide high quality evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to inform transfusion decisions across disciplines and clinical situations worldwide. As part of guiding practice and keeping the community informed, this committee provides a yearly report of the most impactful publications in transfusion and biotherapies. Overall, the CTMC provides great clinical and practical information to transfusion and cell therapy services!

My first volunteer activity within AABB was joining as a junior member of the Circular of Information (COI) Task Force. This committee is tasked with developing and maintaining the content of the COI. It was such a great learning opportunity to work with senior members of the committee. After finishing my tenure at the COI, I was accepted to join the CTMC as a member and later became the chair.

What motivates you to volunteer?

My main motivation is to serve the community. I share AABB's mission and vision to improve the lives of individuals by making transfusions and biotherapies safe, available and effective across the world, and advancing the field. It is my privilege to volunteer my time and efforts to contribute to this mission.

How has your volunteer work impacted your professional work?

My volunteer work at AABB had a strong impact on my professional career. I received outstanding mentoring support, and I was provided countless opportunities for national and international collaborative projects. I met extraordinary laboratory scientists, nurses, researchers and colleagues to share our mutual passion for clinical transfusion medicine and patient care.

What have you learned from volunteering with AABB? And what advice would you give to someone interested in volunteering?

I learned that every piece of work, no matter how small it seems to be, can go a long way. I advise everyone interested in volunteer to apply to committees and join the subsection committees that are open to everyone! You don't need to be a committee member or a leader to make an impact. Everyone's work is valuable and contributes in different forms.

Who is your hero?

Everyone working to make the world a better, safer, and peaceful place.