Karen Asmar,

Karen has worked in the Canadian blood system since 1994, when she joined Ottawa Centre [CRCS] as QC Technologist in the Quality Control department. Shortly after that Karen became the Charge Technologist in the Transmissible Diseases Testing Laboratory. In 1999, Karen made the move to Head Office to a position as Testing Support Associate for Transmissible Diseases in the Operations group and then in National Testing Laboratory and Donor Testing. Karen is currently Manager of Transfusion Medicine Programs in the Medical, Scientific and Research Affairs division of Canadian Blood Services.
Prior to 1994 Karen worked as a Senior Technologist in the Blood Bank at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Saudi Arabia and she began her career as a technologist at Peterborough Civic Hospital in Peterborough, Ontario. Karen is a graduate of the Medical Laboratory Technology Program at St. Lawrence College in Kingston, ON and has been a registered technologist with CSMLS since 1981 and licensed medical technologist in Ontario since 1994.