Louis K Diamond
Encyclopedia
Louis K. Diamond was an American pediatrician, known as the "father of pediatric
hematology
".
Diamond was born in Kishinev
, Bessarabia
, at the time part of the Russian Empire
. His family emigrated to the United States in 1904. He began his medical studies at Harvard University
in 1919 and, on graduating in 1923, entered Harvard Medical School
, receiving his M.D.
in 1927. Shortly after finishing medical school, Diamond studied briefly with Florence Sabin at the Rockefeller Institute before returning to New England
, where he spent several years studying pediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital
under the guidance of Dr. Kenneth Blackfan
.
Diamond set up one of the first pediatric hematology research centers in the United States at Children's. Focusing on anemias, by 1930 he had succeeded in identifying thalassemia
, a hereditary anemia that affected children of Italian and Greek ancestry. In 1932, along with Blackfan, he identified erythroblastosis fetalis, later called Hemolytic disease of the newborn
, at that time a significant disorder among newborns. He also discovered the blood diseases Gardner-Diamond syndrome, a painful bruising disorder, and Schwachman-Diamond syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects many different organs.
Diamond died at his home in Los Angeles on June 14, 1999, at the age of 97. His son Jared Diamond
is an award-winning popular science
writer and Professor of Geography at UCLA
.
Pediatrics
Pediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...
hematology
Hematology
Hematology, also spelled haematology , is the branch of biology physiology, internal medicine, pathology, clinical laboratory work, and pediatrics that is concerned with the study of blood, the blood-forming organs, and blood diseases...
".
Diamond was born in Kishinev
Chisinau
Chișinău is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc...
, Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
, at the time part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. His family emigrated to the United States in 1904. He began his medical studies at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1919 and, on graduating in 1923, entered Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
, receiving his M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
in 1927. Shortly after finishing medical school, Diamond studied briefly with Florence Sabin at the Rockefeller Institute before returning to New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, where he spent several years studying pediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital
Children's Hospital Boston
Children's Hospital Boston is a 396-licensed bed children's hospital in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area of Boston, Massachusetts.At 300 Longwood Avenue, Children's is adjacent both to its teaching affiliate, Harvard Medical School, and to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute...
under the guidance of Dr. Kenneth Blackfan
Kenneth Blackfan
Kenneth Blackfan was an American pediatrician, born on September 9, 1883 in Cambridge, New York, and died November 1941.Blackfan began his medical studies at the Albany Medical School of Union University, New York, graduating at the age of only 22. Initially, he returned home to join his father in...
.
Diamond set up one of the first pediatric hematology research centers in the United States at Children's. Focusing on anemias, by 1930 he had succeeded in identifying thalassemia
Thalassemia
Thalassemia is an inherited autosomal recessive blood disease that originated in the Mediterranean region. In thalassemia the genetic defect, which could be either mutation or deletion, results in reduced rate of synthesis or no synthesis of one of the globin chains that make up hemoglobin...
, a hereditary anemia that affected children of Italian and Greek ancestry. In 1932, along with Blackfan, he identified erythroblastosis fetalis, later called Hemolytic disease of the newborn
Hemolytic disease of the newborn
Hemolytic disease of the newborn, also known as hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn, HDN, HDFN, or erythroblastosis fetalis, is an alloimmune condition that develops in a fetus, when the IgG molecules produced by the mother pass through the placenta...
, at that time a significant disorder among newborns. He also discovered the blood diseases Gardner-Diamond syndrome, a painful bruising disorder, and Schwachman-Diamond syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects many different organs.
Diamond died at his home in Los Angeles on June 14, 1999, at the age of 97. His son Jared Diamond
Jared Diamond
Jared Mason Diamond is an American scientist and author whose work draws from a variety of fields. He is currently Professor of Geography and Physiology at UCLA...
is an award-winning popular science
Popular science
Popular science, sometimes called literature of science, is interpretation of science intended for a general audience. While science journalism focuses on recent scientific developments, popular science is broad-ranging, often written by scientists as well as journalists, and is presented in many...
writer and Professor of Geography at UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
.