Karl Landsteiner

About Karl Landsteiner

Karl Landsteiner was a brilliant Austrian scientist, widely regarded as one of the best immunologists and pathologists of his era. He received the Nobel Prize and Aronson Prize awards for his profound studies of the blood group, systems of blood typing, and his contributions to making blood transfusion a simple and routine practice in the medical field.

Background & Education

Landsteiner was of Jewish descent. He obtained his Ph.D. in medicine in 1891 and, from that time until 1893, studied chemistry under notable scientists, including Herman Emil Fisher, Rudolf Hantzsch, and Eugen Bamberger.

Scientific Contributions & Major Awards

In 1909, he worked with Erwin Popper and Constantin Levaditi in discovering the polio virus. Then in 1990, he notably developed the contemporary system of blood group classification after identifying the presence of agglutinins in blood. Finally, in 1937, he collaborated with fellow scientist Alexander S. Wiener to discover the Rhesus factor, which later allowed doctors to transfuse blood without compromising the patient’s life. As a result, he was often described as a pioneer of transfusion medicine.

In 1926, he was notably awarded the Aronson Prize and received the “Nobel Prize in Medicine” in 1930. Additionally, in 1946, he was posthumously honored with the Lasker Award.

Death

He died at age 75 after suffering a fatal heart attack in his medical laboratory.

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F.A.Q. about Karl Landsteiner

When is his birthday?

Karl Landsteiner's birthday is on June 14, 1868.

In how many days is his birthday?

Karl's birthday is in 52 days

How old was Karl when he died?

He was 75 years old.

When did he die?

He died in June 26, 1943.

How old would he be today?

Karl Landsteiner would be 155 years old if he was alive today.

Where was Karl from?

He was born in Baden bei Wien, near Vienna (Austria).