Marion Elizabeth Reid (born 1944) is a British scientist specialising in

immunohematology Immunohematology is a branch of hematology and transfusion medicine which studies antigen-antibody reactions and analogous phenomena as they relate to the pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of blood disorders. A person employed in this field ...

and author based in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

. She has worked in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

Early life and education

Reid was born in

Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...

, England. At age 10, she was told she was "incapable of being taught" and "would have a hard time holding a job". Reid trained as a medical technologist at the North East Blood Metropolitan Transfusion Service in Brentwood before earning her

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

in biochemistry from the

CNAA The Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) was the national degree-awarding authority in the United Kingdom from 1965 until its dissolution on 20 April 1993. Background The establishment followed the recommendation of the UK government Com ...

. She qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Medical Laboratory Technology, now the

Institute of Biomedical Science The Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) is the professional body for biomedical scientists in the United Kingdom. History The Institute of Biomedical Science was founded in 1912 as the Pathological and Bacteriological Laboratory Assista ...

. She holds a

Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...

(MSc) in clinical science from

San Francisco State University San Francisco State University (San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a Public university, public research university in San Francisco, California, United States. It was established in 1899 as the San Francisco State Normal School and is ...

Career

Reid directed the Laboratory of Immunohematology at the

New York Blood Center The New York Blood Center (NYBC) is a community, nonprofit blood bank based in New York City. Established in 1964 by Dr. Aaron Kellner, NYBC supplies blood to approximately 200 hospitals in the Northeast United States. NYBC and its operating divi ...

, where she led the transition from serologic methods for characterizing red cell antigens and antibodies to a combination of serology and DNA-based

genotyping Genotyping is the process of determining differences in the genetic make-up (genotype) of an individual by examining the individual's DNA sequence using bioassay, biological assays and comparing it to another individual's sequence or a reference seq ...

of blood group antigens. She published hundreds of articles and was described by reviewers as a "scientist and world-renowned immunohematologist". Her laboratory identified novel blood group antigens and alleles in several different ethnic groups. She holds a patent for a DNA-based method to identify compatible donors for patients requiring blood transfusions.

Personal life

Reid lives in

Clifton, Bristol Clifton is an inner suburb of Bristol, England, and the name of one of the city's thirty-five Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom, electoral wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells. The easter ...

. Reid's retirement hobby of

green woodworking Green woodworking (also written greenwoodworking) is a form of woodworking that uses unseasoned or "green" timber. The term "unseasoned" refers to wood that has been freshly felled or preserved by storing it in a water-filled trough or pond to mai ...

makes her a

bodger Bodging (full name chair-bodgering) is a traditional woodturning craft, using green (unseasoned) wood to make chair legs and other cylindrical parts of chairs. The work was done close to where a tree was felled. The itinerant craftsman who made t ...

. In 2020 she was president of Bristol

Soroptimist International Soroptimist International (SI) , founded in 1921, is a global volunteer service for women with almost 66,000 members in 118 countries worldwide. Soroptimist International also offers Associate Membership and E-Clubs. Soroptimist International h ...

, and published ''100 Years of Sisterhood: Bristol Fashion''.

Select publications

*''Bloody Brilliant! A History of Blood Groups and Blood Groupers'' (with Steven R. Pierce), AABB Press, 2016. *''The Blood Group Antigen Factsbook'', 3rd ed., Academic Press, 2012. *''The Discovery and Significance of the Blood Groups'' (with Ian Shine), SBB Books, 2012

Non-scientific

Awards

AABB AABB (Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies) is an international, not-for-profit organization representing individuals and institutions involved in the field of transfusion medicine and biotherapies. The association works coll ...

Bernard Fantus Bernard Fantus (September 1, 1874 – April 14, 1940) was a Hungarian Jewish-American physician. He established the first hospital blood bank in the United States in 1937 at Cook County Hospital, Chicago while he served there as director of the ph ...

Lifetime Achievement Medal, 2024 * James Blundell Award, British Blood Transfusion Society, 2014 *

's Emily Cooley Memorial Award, 2012 *Honorary Doctor of Science,

University of Plymouth The University of Plymouth is a public research university based predominantly in Plymouth, England, where the main campus is located, but the university has campuses and affiliated colleges across South West England. With students, it is the ...

, 2011 *International Woman in Transfusion Award, 2006

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Marion 21st-century English women writers 21st-century English writers British haematologists Living people Scientists from Winchester Women hematologists Writers from Winchester Year of birth missing (living people)