Agneta Shanwell

About

Agneta Shanwell is a leading figure in transfusion medicine, with a career dedicated to improving the safety and efficiency of blood banking. Her research focuses on the critical intersection of donor phenotyping and patient care, particularly for individuals with complex transfusion needs. Shanwell’s most notable contribution is pioneering the use of microplate technology for the high-throughput phenotyping of donor red blood cells (RBCs) for key antigens like K, Fy^a, and Jk^a. This work, published in 2001 and cited 9 times, directly addressed the time-consuming challenge of finding compatible blood for patients with clinically significant RBC alloantibodies. By moving beyond the standard ABO and D typing, her method streamlined the identification of rare donor units, a practice now considered essential for preventing hemolytic transfusion reactions. Her foundational work has had a lasting impact, helping to establish automated, extended phenotyping as a cornerstone of modern blood bank operations, ultimately enhancing patient safety for those with the most difficult transfusion requirements.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   K, Fy^a, and Jk^a phenotyping of donor RBCs on microplates

   9 citations · 2001

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links