A new two-part research initiative on convalescent plasma therapy for COVID-19 patients is underway in the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Division of Transfusion Medicine and Therapeutic Pathology at Penn Medicine. Researchers will first collect plasma from people who have recovered from their infection under a donor research protocol. The second part involves conducting clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of giving that plasma to moderately and severely ill hospitalized patients. Dr. Katharine Bar, assistant professor of Infectious Diseases, is leading the clinical trial team at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center. Dr. Nicole Aqui, associate professor of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Director of the Pathology Residency Program, is leading the transfusion medicine team that began a research protocol to collect plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients last week. Dr. Andrew Fesnak, assistant professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, is a co-investigator on the donor protocol.

Read more in the Department of Communications news release.