Hermann Rahn (July 5, 1912 – June 23, 1990) was an early leader in the field of environmental physiology. He graduated from

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

in 1933. Starting out in the field of zoology with a PhD from

University of Rochester The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...

(1938), Rahn began teaching physiology at the

in 1941. It was there that he partnered with Wallace O. Fenn to publish ''A Graphical Analysis of the Respiratory Gas Exchange'' in 1955. This paper included the landmark O₂-CO₂ diagram, which formed basis for much of Rahn's future work. Rahn's research into applications of this diagram lead to the development of

aerospace medicine Aviation medicine, also called flight medicine or aerospace medicine, is a preventive medicine, preventive or occupational medicine in which the patients/subjects are pilots, aircrews, or astronauts. The specialty strives to treat or prevent cond ...

and advancements in hyperbaric breathing and high-altitude respiration. Rahn later joined the

University at Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo (commonly referred to as UB, University at Buffalo, and sometimes SUNY Buffalo) is a public university, public research university in Buffalo, New York, Buffalo and Amherst, New York, United States. ...

in 1956 as the Lawrence D. Bell Professor and chairman of the Department of Physiology. As chairman, Rahn surrounded himself with outstanding faculty and made the university an international research center in environmental physiology. He was elected to the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

in 1966 and the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...

in 1968. He served as the President of the

American Physiological Society The American Physiological Society is a non-profit professional society for physiologists. It has nearly 10,000 members, most of whom hold doctoral degrees in medicine, physiology, or other health professions. Its mission is to support research ...

from 1963 to 1964. In 1981, Hermann Rahn became a founding member of the

World Cultural Council The World Cultural Council is an international organization whose goals are to promote cultural values, goodwill and philanthropy among individuals. The organization founded in 1982 and based in Mexico, has held a yearly award ceremony since 198 ...

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* American physiologists 1912 births 1990 deaths Founding members of the World Cultural Council Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Cornell University alumni University of Rochester alumni 20th-century American zoologists University at Buffalo faculty Members of the National Academy of Medicine {{US-biologist-stub