Military Honors Pitt Researchers for Work on Cold-stored Platelets in Trauma

Pitt researchers on the Linking Investigations in Trauma and Emergency Services (LITES) Network team received an award for outstanding research at the 2025 Military Health System Research Symposium in Kissimmee, Florida., on Aug. 4.

Stephen Ferrara, acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, presented the award to Jason Sperry, Andrew B. Peitzman Professor of Surgery, School of Medicine; Francis Guyette, ERMI Professor of Healthcare Quality and professor of emergency medicine, School of Medicine; and Stephen Wisniewski, professor of epidemiology and codirector, Epidemiology Data Center, School of Public Health, and associate vice chancellor for clinical trials data coordination, health sciences.

The award honored 20 LITES team members for work in the research category “Blood and Blood Products: Novel Strategies for Treatment of Blood Failure.” The LITES Network completed two high-impact trials—CriSP-HS and CriSP-TBI—demonstrating the feasibility, efficacy and safety of early, cold-stored platelet (CSP) transfusion in patients with hemorrhagic shock and traumatic brain injury. These trials provided the first high-level evidence supporting early CSP use in injured patients.

LITES, funded by the Department of Defense, is a national research consortium composed of more than 50 trauma and burn systems and centers conducting prospective, multicenter research to improve outcomes for injured warfighters.