– Brooklyn, NY
On Monday, October 24th, New York Blood Center (NYBC) will host a Grand Opening event for our 30 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn Blood and Platelet Donor Center.
New York Blood Center is excited to be back in Brooklyn at our new location at 30 Flatbush. The grand opening will feature a blood donor and blood recipient(s) introduction. Our blood recipient is a survivor of childhood cancer and he and his family will meet some of his life-saving donors.
Giving blood is normally an anonymous gift, most blood donors never meet the individual who receives their life-saving gift. And most blood recipients never say thank you to their individual blood donors. Invitees include Chamber of Commerce, elected officials, and invitations to the mayor and Brooklyn Borough President, milestone blood donors who over their lifetimes have made 100-400 blood and platelet donations and will feature local artist Vince Ballentine who painted our donor center mural.
Founded in 1964, New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe) is one of the world’s largest nonprofit, independent, community blood centers, and we strive to be the nation’s preeminent blood and cellular therapy provider. While we are well known for providing half a million lifesaving blood and blood products to patients in our community, we’re less known for our research. Our goal is to help find cures for advanced cancers, autoimmune diseases, and other life-threatening conditions.
Our past research has led to developments including Hepatitis B detection test, identification of Hepatitis C, Solvent detergent technology to manufacture safe plasma products for transfusion, Hepatitis B vaccine, HIV drug Fusion®, First public cord blood bank, First human stem cell product licensed by FDA, HEMACORD™.
Right now, the blood center’s science research discoveries are leading to new treatments and cures for disorders like blindness, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s, through stem cell regeneration of human tissues and organs. We are also developing prototypic SARS, MERS, and HIV vaccines and investigating linkages between gut microbiome and the central nervous system. We’d like to highlight one of our researchers, Karina Yazdanbakhsh, Ph.D., Vice President and Director of Research Development, Head, Laboratory of Complement Biology, who is doing research devoted to preventing and treating sickle cell complications, including pain episodes and tissue injury.