Nancy Heddle trained as a Medical Laboratory Technologist and came to Hamilton in 1975 as the manager of the transfusion medicine lab at MUMC. She completed a Master degree in Health Research Methodology in 1992 and in the late 1990’s she became the Manager of the Transfusion Medicine laboratories for the Hamilton and District Laboratory Medicine Program. In 2001 Nancy moved McMaster University to set up a clinical research program in Transfusion Medicine which became the McMaster Centre for Transfusion Research in 2016. She is currently a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University and the Research Director at the McMaster Centre for Transfusion Research. She is an Associate Member in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, and in Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department. Throughout her career she has been an educator and a mentor, teaching transfusion science and research methodology to over 170 fellows, residents, graduate students and medical laboratory technologists and was a mentor for many individuals within Canada and internationally. In 2014 the Hematology Division at McMaster University established a Teaching Award in her name which is given yearly to a faculty member who demonstrates excellence in resident education. She also served as a Faculty member for the American Society of Hematology Clinical Research Training Institute for four years. Professor Heddle has published over 200 scientific papers and given more than 240 presentations nationally and internationally. Nancy was the first Canadian that served as an Associate Editor for the journal Transfusion: receiving this appointment in 2004 and stepping down from the position in June 2018. She has received over 15 national and international awards including: the Ivor Dunsford Memorial Award from AABB; International Woman in Transfusion Award from the International Society of Blood Transfusion; the Emil von Behring Award given by the German Society of Blood Transfusion; the Suzanne Ledin Memorial Lectureship, California Blood Bank Society, the Emily Cooley Award in 2017 (AABB) and in 2017 she received a Life Time Achievement Award from Canadian Blood Services.

Nancy Heddle also received an Ontario Premier's Award in the Health Sciences category in 2002.

Learn more about Nancy Heddle's career journey