Neva Irene Martin Abelson (November 19, 1910 – September 26, 2000) was a distinguished research physician who co-discovered the life-saving blood test for the Rh blood factor (with Louis K. Diamond). The Philip and Neva Abelson Hall at

Washington State University Washington State University (WSU, or colloquially Wazzu) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Pullman, Washington, United States. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest Land-grant uni ...

was named in her honor.

Early career

Abelson graduated from

with a B.S. degree in

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

. She became one of the first women to graduate from

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

with a medical degree. After medical school she became a

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 ...

. She was the first pediatrician to ever be placed in charge of Johns Hopkins nurseries. Her research at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

, where she was a professor of clinical

pathology Pathology is the study of disease. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatme ...

, involved blood groups, blood diseases of infants, and the

pathogenesis In pathology, pathogenesis is the process by which a disease or disorder develops. It can include factors which contribute not only to the onset of the disease or disorder, but also to its progression and maintenance. The word comes . Descript ...

rheumatoid arthritis Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term autoimmune disorder that primarily affects synovial joint, joints. It typically results in warm, swollen, and painful joints. Pain and stiffness often worsen following rest. Most commonly, the wrist and h ...

. She published a book, ''Topics in Blood Banking'', in 1974. She received the Emily Cooley Memorial Award from the American Association of Blood Banks. In 1989, she received the Regents’ Distinguished Alumnus Award for her contributions to developing the test for the Rh blood factor. She and her husband are responsible for contributing the largest fellowship endowment in

's College of Sciences.

Personal life

Abelson married

Philip Abelson Philip Hauge Abelson (April 27, 1913 – August 1, 2004) was an American physicist, scientific editor and science writer. Trained as a nuclear physicist, he co-discovered the element neptunium, worked on isotope separation in the Manhattan ...

(1913–2004), a physicist, science writer and longtime editor of ''

Science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

'' magazine. Their daughter, Ellen Abelson Cherniavsky who is now retired, worked as an

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...

researcher at The

MITRE The mitre (Commonwealth English) or miter (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, see spelling differences; both pronounced ; ) is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of ...

Corporation in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

References

Washington State University
Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award to Neva Martin Abelson (No. 23)
University of Pennsylvania Obituaries
;Specific 1910 births 2000 deaths American pediatricians American women pediatricians University of Pennsylvania faculty Washington State University alumni Medical educators American medical researchers 20th-century American physicians 20th-century American women physicians People from Tacoma, Washington Physicians from Washington (state) Johns Hopkins School of Medicine alumni {{US-physician-stub