Kenneth Blackfan (September 9, 1883 – November 29, 1941) was an American

pediatrician Pediatrics (American English) also spelled paediatrics (British English), is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many of their youth ...

. He took particular interest in nutrition and

hematology Hematology (American and British English spelling differences#ae and oe, spelled haematology in British English) is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to bloo ...

. A childhood blood disorder,

Diamond–Blackfan anemia Diamond–Blackfan anemia (DBA) is a congenital pure red blood cell aplasia that usually presents in infancy. DBA causes anemia, but has no effect on the other blood components (platelets, white blood cells). This is in contrast to Shwachman–B ...

, is partly named after him. Early in his career, Blackfan did work that identified the origin of

cerebrospinal fluid Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear, colorless Extracellular fluid#Transcellular fluid, transcellular body fluid found within the meninges, meningeal tissue that surrounds the vertebrate brain and spinal cord, and in the ventricular system, ven ...

Biography

Blackfan was born on September 9, 1883, in Cambridge, New York. He began his medical studies at the

Albany Medical College Albany Medical College (AMC) is a Private university, private medical school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1839 by Alden March and James H. Armsby and is one of the oldest medical schools in the nation. The college is part of the Albany Me ...

, graduating at the age of only 22. Initially, he returned home to join his father in general practice. He became bored with this, however, and four years later in 1909 he returned to Albany seeking fresh challenges. Encouraged by

Richard Pearse Richard William Pearse (3 December 1877 – 29 July 1953) was a New Zealand farmer and inventor who performed pioneering aviation experiments. Witnesses interviewed many years afterwards describe observing Pearse flying and landing a powered h ...

, he decided to do some pediatric training in the Founding Hospital in Philadelphia. He did a residency under

John Howland John Howland (February 23, 1673) was an English indentured servant who accompanied the English Separatists and other passengers when they left England on the to settle in Plymouth Colony. In later years, he was an executive assistant and pers ...

starting in 1911 at

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth ...

, and in 1913 Blackfan followed Howland to

Johns Hopkins Hospital Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1889, Johns Hopkins Hospital and its school of medicine are considered to be the foundin ...

in Baltimore. Here he worked with

Walter Dandy Walter Edward Dandy (April 6, 1886 – April 19, 1946) was an American neurosurgeon and scientist. He is considered one of the founding fathers of neurosurgery, along with Victor Horsley and Harvey Cushing. Dandy is credited with numerous neuros ...

(described of the Dandy–Walker syndrome) on internal

hydrocephalus Hydrocephalus is a condition in which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up within the brain, which can cause pressure to increase in the skull. Symptoms may vary according to age. Headaches and double vision are common. Elderly adults with n ...

. Walker and Blackfan discovered where

originated by tracking dye injected into the cerebral ventricle of a dog. Blackfan eventually became an associate professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1918, then moved to

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) is an Teaching hospital, academic pediatric acute care children's hospital located in the Avondale, Cincinnati, Avondale neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. The hospital has more than 670 regis ...

and finally to

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

where he became director of clinical services at

Children's Hospital A children's hospital (CH) is a hospital that offers its services exclusively to infants, children, adolescents, and young adults from birth up to until age 18, and through age 21 and older in the United States. In certain special cases, the ...

and professor of pediatrics. He occupied this position until his death in 1941. At Harvard, his main interests were

nutrition Nutrition is the biochemistry, biochemical and physiology, physiological process by which an organism uses food and water to support its life. The intake of these substances provides organisms with nutrients (divided into Macronutrient, macro- ...

and

. He was Louis K. Diamond’s mentor, and together they wrote the first collection of photographs of microscopic appearances of the Blood in Childhood disease. In 1938, they described Diamond–Blackfan syndrome. He also mentored

Sidney Farber Sidney Farber (September 30, 1903 – March 30, 1973) was an American pediatric pathologist at Boston Children's Hospital. He is regarded as the father of modern chemotherapy for his work using folic acid antagonists to combat leukemia, which l ...

, the father of modern cancer chemotherapy, after whom is named the

Dana–Farber Cancer Institute Dana–Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) is a comprehensive cancer treatment and research center in Boston, Massachusetts. Dana-Farber is the founding member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Harvard's Comprehensive Cancer Center designated ...

in Boston. Blackfan died of lung cancer in 1941 at the height of his career. Boston Children's Hospital is in front o
Blackfan Circle
which is named after Blackfan.

References

* "Inherited bone marrow failure: the men behind the empty space". Owen P. Smith & John Cox, ''British Journal of Haematology'', Volume 107 Page 242 - November 1999 {{DEFAULTSORT:Blackfan, Kenneth 1883 births 1941 deaths American pediatricians Johns Hopkins Hospital physicians Harvard Medical School faculty Albany Medical College alumni People from Cambridge, New York Physicians from Albany, New York Deaths from lung cancer in Kentucky Washington University in St. Louis fellows