January 2026

In This Issue

• 

  Celebrating National Blood Donor Month

  This issue of AABB News highlights donor recruitment, retention and advancing diversity across the donor base.

  2 min read |Open Access |President’s Message
• 

  From Policy to Practice: Evidence Supporting Individual Donor Assessment Matures

  The newest available data continues to show that the change from a time-based deferral for MSM and other risk behaviors to IDA has had little impact on the residual risk of HIV and hepatitis B.

  6 min read |Members Only |Feature
• 

  Closing the Gap in Blood Stem Cell Donation

  How personal loss shaped Ron Jacob’s mission to recruit donors and save lives.

  7 min read |Open Access |Feature
• 

  Coming Full Circle: When a Universal Blood Donor Becomes a Recipient

  After a life-threatening procedure, longtime O-negative donor Jaime Singh gains a new perspective on the power of blood donation.

  4 min read |Open Access |Feature
• 

  Paying Blood Donors in the 21st Century: Ethics, Policy and the Global Reality of Recruitment

  In today’s world, compensating donors has transitioned from a theoretical concern to an urgent ethical and policy question.

  8 min read |Open Access |The Ethical Pulse: Blood, Biotherapies & Beyond
• 

  In Conversation With Abiola Okubanjo: Community-Led Storytelling and Equity in Donor Recruitment

  In this month's "In Conversation" interview, Abiola Okubanjo, BSc, ACA, explores how storytelling campaigns can increase blood donation in underrepresented communities.

  11 min read |Open Access |In Conversation
• 

  Karen Royster: Championing Safety and Excellence in Military Blood Banking

  The 2025 ASBP Lifetime Achievement Honoree, Karen Royster, reflects on her decades-long career and unwavering commitment to quality assurance.

  8 min read |Open Access |Feature
• 

  Paying it Forward: Steven Spitalnik, MD, on the Impact of Supporting the Foundation

  Donor Story: Steven Spitalnik reflects on what drew him to blood and biotherapies, the experiences that have shaped his path and why supporting the Foundation is so important to him.

  7 min read |Open Access |AABB Foundation: Shaping the Industry
• 

  Building an Equitable Blood Supply

  Rim Abdallah, MD, discusses the importance of diversifying the donor pool to improve patient safety and ensure the long-term stability of the blood supply.

  11 min read |Open Access |White Coats
• 

  A Year in Review

  Looking Back on a Year of Monumental Progress

  4 min read |Members Only |High Priority
• 

  Start Strong: How SMART Goals Can Transform Your New Year

  Using the SMART framework is one of the most reliable ways to turn New Year’s hopes into real, measurable progress.

  5 min read |Members Only |Be Well
• 

  Volunteer Spotlight: Keán Thompson

  "By developing ourselves, we can provide optimal blood and blood products to our patients when and where they need it."

  2 min read |Members Only |Membership Focus
• 

  Blood Community Unites to Thank America’s Volunteer Blood Donors as National Blood Donor Month Approaches

  Of Note: News stories from the field.

  4 min read |Members Only |Of Note