Ed Pryzdial – Associate Director of the CBR

It is my pleasure to announce the appointment of Dr. Ed Pryzdial as the Associate Director of the Centre for Blood Research (CBR), effective July 1, 2014 until June 30, 2016.

As one of the earliPryzdial_Aug2014est members of the CBR, and a valued member of the CBR Steering Committee, Ed has long been intimately involved in the day-to-day operations of the CBR, as well as in the development of short- and long-term strategies. He has indeed, long been my “right hand person” in my capacity as Director. Thus, this position allows the CBR to duly recognize his contributions, through an official appointment as Associate Director.

Dr. Pryzdial received a bachelor’s degree in 1981 and a doctorate in 1987, both from the University of Toronto. Dr. Pryzdial’s doctoral work focused on the physical biochemistry of complement protein interactions. Although staying in blood protein research, his postdoctoral training at the University of Vermont caused him to shift to the field of blood clotting biochemistry. In 1990/91 he joined the Canadian Blood Services (at that time part, of the Canadian Red Cross) and the University of Ottawa, later joining the CBR in Vancouver. His current interests are well-aligned with those of the Canadian Blood Services in the field of transfusion medicine, with emphasis on delineating the mechanisms by which viruses affect the blood and how they cause disease. He also explores the molecular basis of hemostatic disorders, and has made advances toward the development of novel fibrinolytic agents.

Ed’s specific role as the Associate Director of the CBR will be to help to further enhance the quality of all CBR activities, to take the lead in the development of several of the new educational programs, including the creation of graduate and PDF education/training programs. Ed will continue to help in writing grant applications and in raising funds – from private sources and through publicly funded agencies, as he has so ably done in the past.

Please join me in welcoming Ed to this new position at the CBR!

Sincerely,

Ed Conway, CBR Director