AABB Foundation Recognizes Erika Marques de Menezes as 2026 Scholar

The AABB Foundation has named Erika G. Marques de Menezes, PhD, assistant investigator at Vitalant Research Institute and assistant adjunct professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, a 2026 AABB Foundation Scholar.

Marques de Menezes earned this distinction following completion of her AABB Foundation–funded research project investigating how prolonged cold storage alters extracellular vesicle (EV) characteristics in platelet products and how these changes influence inflammatory responses.

“The AABB Foundation project led to new evidence that prolonged cold storage alters EV phenotypes and cytokine content, and that these EVs drive monocyte-mediated inflammation,” Marques de Menezes said. “Monitoring EVs during platelet storage may provide additional insights into platelet quality and inform strategies to enhance transfusion safety and effectiveness.”

The AABB Foundation will honor Marques de Menezes at the 2026 AABB Annual Meeting for her scientific contributions.