The Karen Tiegerman Memorial Lectureship was established in 1993 by the Blood Bank at New England Medical Center (now, Tufts Medical Center) in memory of Karen Tiegerman, who was the Blood Bank supervisor. This annual lectureship is awarded to a Medical Technologist who, like Karen, lover her/his work and is dedicated to the profession.
This year's award winner is Susan Johnson who is the Director of the SBB Program at the BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Director and an Adjunct Associate Professor for the Transfusion Medicine Program at Marquette University Graduate School, and a Clinical Associate Professor in the College of Health Services at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Sue received her undergraduate degree in Medical Technology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she also played on the women's division I basketball team. Sue attended the Specialist in Blood Bank Technology program at the American Red Cross Blood Service-Badger Region in 1982 and went on to earn her Master's degree in Transfusion Medicine at Marquette University in 2001.
Sue spent the majority of her career working in the Immunohematology Reference Laboratory (IRL) developing a special interest in autoimmune hemolytic anemia, particularly drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia. During this time she was also involved in the Specialist in Blood Banking program as director. She enjoys mentoring students on their research projects and teaching blood group serology. She has taken an active role in the education of Medical Laboratory Science students for over 20 years.
Sue has authored numerous publications in the field of Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology and is an established lecturer on a national and international basis on the topic of Immunohematology.
She is an active member of AABB. She served as Chair of the organization's Membership & Elections Committee and Immunohematology Reference Laboratory Accreditation Program Unit that developed the 1st edition of Standards for IRLs and currently is a member of the Molecular Testing Standards program unit that also developed the 1st edition of Standards for Molecular Testing for Red Cell, Platelet, and Neutrophil Antigens. Sue currently sits on the AABB Press Editorial Board and Molecular Testing Standards Program Unit and has been an Assessor for the Accreditation Program for over 15 years. In 2010 she received the Sally Frank Memorial Award and Lectureship from the AABB.