Member Spotlight: Akakpossa Ananou

Director, Blood Depot Sigonella

U.S. Naval Hospital Sigonella

Italy

How long have you been an AABB member?

7 years

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

Active: AABB 2027 eLearning Committee eCast; AABB Assessor
Participated: AABB 2026 eLearning Committee eCast; AABB Mentoring Program

What motivates you to partake in AABB committees and activities?

Participating in AABB committees and activities is driven by the unique opportunity to bridge combat-tested innovations with civilian standards, ensuring that life-saving advancements like whole blood and cryopreserved products benefit both the warfighter and the public. Active engagement allows me to keep the Armed Services Blood Program globally compliant and operationally ready, while fostering the joint interoperability and clinical expertise required to sustain a resilient blood supply from garrison to the tactical edge. Above all, it provides a deeply rewarding platform to pay it forward, sharing lessons learned and mentoring the next generation of transfusion specialists to sustain our vital mission long into the future.

How has your experience as an AABB member impacted your professional work?

Being an AABB member has bridged the gap between military operational necessity and civilian clinical standards, directly impacting my professional work by keeping my practice at the leading edge of transfusion science. Access to AABB’s gold-standard research and collaborative committees has allowed me to bring best practices back to the laboratory, optimizing our protocol safety and quality assurance. Furthermore, the mentorship and professional network I have built through the association have been invaluable, giving me a platform to not only refine my own clinical leadership but to actively mentor the next generation of military and civilian medical laboratory specialists.

What have you learned from your involvement with AABB? And what advice would you give to someone interested in expanding their involvement with our association?

Through my experiences with AABB, I’ve learned that the most impactful solutions in transfusion medicine are born from collaboration between the military and civilian sectors. I've seen how sharing our distinct operational challenges and lessons learned drives innovation that benefits everyone. More importantly, I’ve learned the true value of community, no matter how austere or advanced our respective environments are, our shared dedication to advancing science and saving lives remains exactly the same.

What is your favorite vacation destination?

Athens