Mohawk College is thrilled to announce that Nancy Heddle has been awarded the Premier’s Award for Health Sciences for 2002. The Province of Ontario annually acknowledges the important social and economic contribution college graduates make to Ontario with the prestigious Premier’s Awards.  

Heddle was presented with the award at the Premier’s Award Dinner Gala in 2003 at the Westin Harbour Castle by Premier Ernie Eves, and Education Minister, Dianne Cunningham. A promotional video highlighting her accomplishments was also shown that evening. 

A 1969 graduate of Mohawk’s Medical Laboratory Technology Program, Heddle has distinguished herself as a world-class researcher. Since leaving Mohawk, Heddle has continued her life long learning, becoming  Certified Registered Technologist, then an Advanced Registered Technologist before going on to obtain her Masters Degree in Health Sciences, Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics from McMaster University. She volunteered to participate in the Scientific Program of the NORONT Convention for ten years. She planned three symposia for the International Society of Blood Transfusion for their meeting held in Vancouver in August 2002, including organizing international speakers, planning the program and chairing the sessions. Heddle volunteered as a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of Canadian Blood Services. She chaired the Standards Committee for the Canadian Society of Transfusion Medicine for ten years, overseeing the development and production of three editions of the Standards that are used by all hospitals in Ontario to ensure optimal transfusion practices and safe blood for Canadians. 

Heddle joined McMaster University Medical Centre in 1975 as a Technologist in the blood bank. Heddle is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster University and Director of Transfusion Medicine Trials. In this role, Heddle is responsible for promoting clinical research in Transfusion Medicine by developing a Canadian Clinical Trials Network, in close collaboration with Canadian Blood Services. Heddle also served as a consultant for the Hamilton Regional Laboratory Medicine Program (Transfusion Medicine) coordinating a number of local and regional projects designed to improve transfusion practices within Canada.  

She has received many awards including the 25th Anniversary Award from the Ontario Society of Medical Technologists in 1988; a Trillium Award from the Ontario Society of Medical Technologists in 1990, and the Elmer L. DeGowin Lectureship in Blood Banking, University of Iowa in 1998. Also in 1998 sh received The Ortho Award in Transfusion Medicine from the Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine. In 1996, Heddle was honoured with the Gold Medal Award from the Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which recognizes outstanding contributions at a national or international level. This is the highest recognition that the Society can bestow on a member. She won the Mohawk College Alumni of Distinction Award for Health Sciences in 1999, and in 2002, was awarded the Distinguished Fellowship Award, Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Services, only the 9th person to receive this award during the 65-year history of the Society. She will be featured in an upcoming of the CSMLS Journal related to winning this award.  

Heddle is most noted for her pioneering research in transfusion medicine. In 1994, Heddle solved a transfusion allergy mystery, a 30-year old puzzle of why many people suffer an allergic reaction when they get blood transfusions. Of the half million Canadians receiving platelet transfusion each year, between one-third and one-tenth have allergies as a side effect. For some very sick patients, these allergic reactions can even be fatal. As a result of these studies, the frequency of platelet transfusion reactions has now declined from a high of 20-35% (pre Heddle’s work) to a frequency of less than 2%. Such an impact rarely occurs.  

Heddle’s research, which was published n The New England Journal of Medicine in 1994, will completely eradicate allergic reactions to blood products around the world! The nice part of the discovery,” Heddle said, “is that for the first time it is possible to prevent allergic reactions – either by separating the plasma from the platelets before transfusing them, or removing white cells on the first day so they can’t produce toxins while stored.” Due to Heddle’s discovery, special filters are now being manufactured to remove white cells. In the United States, an effort is being made to incorporate such filters into the blood collection base so that when blood is donated, white cells are automatically removed.  

Heddle has volunteered hundreds of hours with the Canadian Society of Laboratory Technologists. She has recently agreed to volunteer with the Canadian Standards Association to sit on their Committee that is developing national standards for hospitals and blood centres; Chair of the CSLT’s Jubilee Congress; member of the CSLT examination panel, a Director of the Ontario Society of Medical Technologists serving on the Education Committee, and as Provincial Director. As a board member of the Canadian Society for Transfusion Medicine, she played an active role on the association’s standards committee. She has been an active member of several other professional organizations including The Ontario Antibody Club, The Canadian Association of Immunohematologists, as well as being an Advisory Committee member at Mohawk College. She is currently a member of the College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario. 

Heddle has co-authored eight scientific papers. She has over 50 contributions to published books, over 80 journal articles and abstracts, and she is the author of the book, Blood Transfusion – A Conceptual Approach, which was published in 1984. She has given over 100 scientific presentations in several countries, including Canada, the United States, Spain, the UK, Japan and Malaysia. In 1994 she was a Delegation Leader for a Medical Technology Delegation to China through the Citizen Ambassador Program in Washington. 

Heddle is a true pioneer in her field. Her ground-breaking research has helped, and will continue to save people’s lives in Canada and around the world. During her career, Heddle has secured over 4 million dollars in funding to do research studies related to blood transfusions. Many of these studies have changed the way that transfusions are given or provided, making this form of medical treatment much safer for Canadians. She currently holds two million dollars in research funding. 

Mohawk College is very proud to call Heddle one of our own and congratulate her for winning the Premier’s Award.  

This story was originally published in Spring 2003 of the Mohawk Alumni In Touch magazine.