ALACHUA, FL, October 29, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- J. Peter R. Pelletier, MD, has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

A distinguished expert in transfusion medicine and platelet storage, Dr. Pelletier has built a career marked by innovation, leadership and dedication to patient safety. As the medical director of transfusion services at the University of Florida (UF) Health Shands Hospital since 2014, he has played a pivotal role in advancing clinical practices and ensuring the highest standards of care for patients requiring blood products.

In his current capacity at UF Health, Dr. Pelletier oversees all aspects of transfusion services and conducts consultations for patients who develop new alloantibodies, ensuring safe and effective red cell transfusions. His responsibilities include implementing modifications to blood products to enhance patient safety, washing products for those with severe allergic reactions and irradiating blood components for immunocompromised individuals. Furthermore, he manages inventory and assists clinicians during cases of massive bleeding, addressing physiological causes and supporting complex procedures for mothers whose antibodies attack fetal red blood cells.

Through his clinical research, Dr. Pelletier focuses on platelet storage, extending their viability and modifying them to assist in massive bleeding scenarios. He also investigates transfusion strategies to optimize ratios and product selection during life-threatening hemorrhages and studies artificial blood as a temporary solution for critically ill patients. In 2024, he was granted a provisional patent for a method to improve the stability and shelf life of blood products, specifically targeting red cell components.

As a clinical professor in the departments of pathology, immunology and laboratory medicine and anesthesia at UF Health Shands Hospital, Dr. Pelletier is equally committed to educating future generations of care providers and researchers. Teaching medical students about blood banking, he delivers lectures to second-year scholars annually and provides month-long instruction in anatomical clinical pathology and blood banking to residents. He also established a fellowship program at Shands Hospital, which celebrated its first graduate in 2024.

Though his tenure at UF Health counts many milestones, Dr. Pelletier is particularly proud of his contribution to the institution's receipt of level one trauma validation from the American College of Surgeons — one of only 22 hospitals in the United States with this designation. His efforts were pivotal in developing the massive transfusion protocol for pediatrics, which was critical in securing the accreditation.

Prior to his tenure at UF Health, Dr. Pelletier led an illustrious career of more than two decades in the United States Air Force, retiring as a colonel. From 2010 to 2014, he held the position of medical director while also serving as co-chairman and Air Force pathology consultant for the Laboratory Joint Working Group under the United States Department of Defense. During this period, he gained early instructional experience as a faculty member teaching the Emergency War Surgery Course (EWSC) and as an Air Force pathology consultant with the Center for Clinical Laboratory Medicine.

From 2006 to 2014, Dr. Pelletier contributed as a blood program officer with the Air Force Transfusion Medicine Consultant Group. Concurrently, he represented the Department of Defense on the United States Department of Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Blood and Tissue Safety and Availability from 2012 to 2014. Notably, during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005, he initiated platelet collection in Balad — a major advancement that replaced the longtime reliance on combat buddy donations for trauma transfusions. This innovation led to an order mandating adoption of the Air Force's platelet collection method across all United States military branches.

Dr. Pelletier's expertise stems in large part from his extensive and foundational academic background. After completing a residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium within the Military Health System in 2001, he received a fellowship in blood banking and transfusion medicine from Yale University at Yale New Haven Hospital in 2005.

Dedicated to the ideals of continuous learning, Dr. Pelletier served a residency in internal medicine at Wright-Patterson Medical Center on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base with the U.S. Air Force in 1994 and interned there in 1992. He earned a Doctor of Medicine from Rosalind Franklin University in 1991 following completion of a Bachelor of Science in laboratory medical technology from the University of Connecticut at Storrs in 1985.

To deepen his knowledge and qualifications, Dr. Pelletier is certified in transfusion medicine as well as anatomic and clinical pathology by The American Board of Pathology. Along with his education, he attributes his success to the excellent teams that have supported him throughout his career, emphasizing openness to advice and constructive criticism as key factors that enabled continuous improvement. He is equally grateful to Dr. Rand — whose guidance was pivotal in his transition from the military to academia — as well as the mentorship of Dr. Merwin during his internal medicine residency.

Also known for his civic-minded contributions, Dr. Pelletier has participated on subcommittees related to hemotherapy, transfusion safety and patient blood management within the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB). From 2010 to 2014, he was a member with the Integrated Consortium of Laboratory Networks under the Department of Defense as well as a voting member on the board of directors for the Society of American Federal Medical Laboratory Scientists. Earlier in his journey, he served a co-chairmanship as an Air Force pathology consultant for the Laboratory Joint Working Group and performed service as a grand knight trustee with the Knights of Columbus from 2006 to 2007.

Dr. Pelletier's outstanding contributions to his country, clinical leadership and research advancements have been recognized with numerous accolades over the years. During his military tenure, he received multiple Laboratory of the Year awards and was named a Grand Master Clinician in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology by the U.S. Air Force. His time at UF Health has also seen him named among the World's Top 100 Doctors by Global Summits and honored with multiple Golden Apple awards, the Patient Safety Team award and the Department Clinical Excellence Award.

Determined to continue making an impact in the health care sector, Dr. Pelletier aims to advance care at Shands Hospital by improving massive transfusions — making these procedures safer for trauma patients as well as those facing postpartum hemorrhage, pediatric emergencies or gastrointestinal bleeding. His lifelong dedication to patient safety, education and innovation in transfusion medicine continues to set a shining example for his peers and future generations of care providers alike.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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