261:. Under Walsh's direction, the unit developed innovative technology for blood transportation, such as identifying different requirements when it was shipped by air or sea. It supplied substantial quantities of serum and plasma to armed forces from Australia, Britain, and America. It collected over 350 blood donations per day in 1942. Investigating why some donors experienced bad reactions was the launch of Walsh's research career. He was also Secretary to the Red Cross Blood Transfusion Committee.
345:
Community
Medicine (which replaced the School of Human Genetics). From 1973 until he retired in 1982, he was the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at UNSW. One of his first responsibilities was to oversee the introduction of a five-year medical degree, to keep pace with international practice. On his retirement, the university made him an
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Returning to
Australia after his study period, Walsh found there were inadequate research facilities so he established a new research section in 1952. He focused on issues that directly benefited blood donors and recipients; his research into haemoglobin and iron metabolism led him to advocate for
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As the BTS changed from civilian to military focus, Walsh left Sydney
Hospital and joined the Army. By July 1942, he was Commander of the newly created 2nd Australian Blood and Serum Preparation Unit, where he was promoted to Major in September 1942. Meanwhile, work was underway to establish the
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By the early 1960s, the BTS was well established and had international credibility, so Walsh wanted to move on by getting involved in the new School of
Medicine at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). In 1962, Walsh was appointed UNSW's Visiting Professor of Human Genetics and before long he
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In 1966, he resigned from the BTS to assume a full-time position as foundation chair and
Professor of Human Genetics at the UNSW. In 1969, he joined the University Council, and in 1970, he took on the role of Chairman of their Professional Board. From 1973 to 1976 he was head of the School of
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groups. He oversaw the development of increasingly sophisticated technology to collect, process, and transport blood and its products. The demand was surging, as they became essential for more complex surgical procedures. Walsh also investigated the hereditary and genetic underpinnings of
160:(3 January 1917 - 20 July 1983) was an Australian medical scientist and geneticist. He set up the New South Wales Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, serving as its inaugural Director for twenty years from 1946 to 1966. From 1973 to 1982, he was the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the
450:
On 5 June 1944, he married
Kathleen Helen Tooth (known as "Helen"), a fellow medical practitioner and former university classmate; they earned their medical degrees (with honours) together and they were medical residents together at Sydney Hospital. Helen became the first female medical
164:. His research activities covered a wide range, including iron metabolism, blood groups, genetic influences on diseases, and improving techniques and equipment for collecting, processing, and transporting blood and its products. In 1982 he was awarded Australia's highest civilian honour,
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supplying iron supplements to aid blood cell production in donors. Data from the BTS provided a unique opportunity to standardize instrument calibration, improving the accuracy of laboratory pathology measurements. He also ran blood group antigen studies, notably among
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Walsh was born on 3 January 1917 in East
Brisbane, the second of seven children. His parents were John James Walsh, a barrister, and Catherine Mary Walsh (nÊe Ahern). His father was secretary of the University Congress that formed the
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The BTS was so effective during the war that it was continued afterwards. When he left the army in 1946, Walsh was appointed as the inaugural
Director of the BTS, a position which he held until 1966.
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332:. Furthermore, he identified a previously unknown blood group, which he coined as "S for Sydney"; anti-S reagents in patients' blood are usually a response to pregnancy or transfusion.
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identification, leading to population studies on blood group antigens. By 1954, Walsh had secured funding for full-time research fellows and grants for expeditions; the
438:, the Australian Blood Transfusion Society, the Haematology Society of Australia, the German Haematology Society, the German Society for Blood Transfusion and the
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Early in the war, blood transfusions were not common and blood banks did not yet exist; each hospital relied on its own donor list for emergency transfusions. The
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When World War II broke out in
September 1939, Walsh joined the Australian Army Medical Corps as a captain in the Citizen Military Forces. He was diagnosed with
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Other highlights include serving on the council of the
Australian Academy of Science (starting 1963), the Australian Research Grants Committee (1965), the
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for six months. He studied iron metabolism, particularly its role in red blood cell formation. Additionally, he explored the use of antibodies for
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superintendent at Sydney Hospital in 1943, and later she pursued a career as a paediatrician. They had four children (three sons and a daughter).
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249:), and ten thousand donors were enlisted in the first three months; Walsh said he was proud that blood donations were voluntary, not paid.
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Research Advisory Committee (1959), the Medical Research Advisory Committee of New Guinea, and the Queen Elizabeth Fellowships Committee.
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He was also engaged in professional organizations and government committees, including many senior positions. He was the president of the
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throughout his career, and a severe episode in 1953 resulted in ongoing problems with his vision and kidneys. He died of
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Walsh was instrumental in founding the Haematology Society of Australia and the Australian Society of Blood Transfusion.
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for use by the military. He also played a crucial role in ensuring a ready supply in case of attacks on Sydney.
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in babies, where most cases were found to have an Rh-negative mother and Rh-positive father), inheritance of
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invited Walsh to become their Medical Officer in February 1941. He created the Blood Transfusion Service (
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In 1947â1948, Walsh took 18 months' study leave from the Red Cross, which was split between
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380:. He became Deputy Chairman of the National Blood Transfusion Service Committee in 1972.
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181:, which Robert later attended, and a founding member of that university's Senate in 1911.
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Association of New South Wales. Additionally, he was chairman of Biological Sciences,
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710:. Australian Government: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 14 June 1982
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678:"Walsh, Robert John - Person - Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation"
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facilitated studies, including native populations in the New Guinea highlands.
684:. Swinburne University of Technology - Centre for Transformative Innovation
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600:. University of Sydney Faculty of Medicine Online Museum and Archive
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also chaired the university's Medical Research Advisory Committee.
510:. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University
649:(4 ed.). Durham NC: Montgomery Scientific Publications.
372:(1966â70), the Australian HA (Human Adaptability) Committee,
744:– via Trove from the National Library of Australia.
634:– via Trove from the National Library of Australia.
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of the Royal Society of New South Wales in 1979. In the
364:(1972â73), the Sydney Hospitallers Association, and the
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MB, BS with distinction (University of Sydney)
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Fellows of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
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27:
Australian medical scientist and geneticist (1917â1983)
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704:"Award extract: Professor Robert John WALSH, AO, OBE"
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Academic staff of the University of New South Wales
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200:with distinction in 1939. He went on to serve his
434:(1959). He was an honorary life member of the
237:Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, 1941-1966
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852:Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science
791:Journal and Proceedings Royal Society of NSW
281:National Health and Medical Research Council
208:, as a junior in 1940 and a senior in 1941.
847:Officers of the Order of the British Empire
645:Issitt, Peter D.; Anstee, David J. (1998).
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253:efficacy of blood components, especially
30:For other people named Robert Walsh, see
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362:Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences
773:Australian Journal of Forensic Science
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118:Establishing blood transfusion service
566:Historical Records Australian Science
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822:Companions of the Order of Australia
188:. In 1934, he began studying at the
440:Australian Society of Anaesthetists
413:Companion of the Order of Australia
312:(Rh) (especially as it pertains to
166:Companion of the Order of Australia
136:Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service
730:"SYDNEY HOSPITAL DOCTORS TO MARRY"
508:Australian Dictionary of Biography
374:International Biological Programme
353:Professional and community service
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401:Officer of the Order of Australia
620:"Warships made the blood curdle"
422:of organizations including the
415:(AC) "for service to medicine".
168:, for his services to medicine.
554:. Australian Academy of Science
504:"Robert John Walsh (1917â1983)"
817:Australian medical researchers
403:(AO) in 1976, and awarded the
1:
548:"Robert John Walsh 1917-1983"
432:Australian Academy of Science
409:1982 Queen's Birthday honours
370:Australian Academy of Science
184:He matriculated in 1933 from
162:University of New South Wales
139:University of New South Wales
32:Robert Walsh (disambiguation)
779:Medical Journal of Australia
760:With Hand and Mind and Heart
647:Applied Blood Group Serology
502:Crane, Helen Bashir (2012).
827:University of Sydney alumni
568:, vol 6, no 2, 1985, p 277.
283:and a joint grant from the
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787:, vol 16, no 1, 1984, p 97
775:, vol 16, no 1, 1983, p 46
320:, and the inheritance and
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736:. 8 March 1944. p. 2
336:Academic career 1962-1982
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626:. 1 July 1945. p. 4
564:Originally published in
395:Walsh was appointed an
190:University of Queensland
179:University of Queensland
172:Early life and education
85:Westmead, NSW, Australia
418:He was recognized as a
411:, Walsh was appointed
269:Harvard Medical School
793:, vol 117, 1984, p 83
186:St Laurence's College
842:People from Brisbane
781:, 29 Oct 1983, p 464
594:"Walsh, Robert John"
454:Walsh suffered from
194:University of Sydney
285:Nuffield Foundation
69:Brisbane, Australia
708:honours.pmc.gov.au
552:www.science.org.au
314:haemolytic disease
598:www.sydney.edu.au
462:on 20 July 1983.
436:Red Cross Society
153:Robert John Walsh
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110:Medical scientist
18:Robert John Walsh
16:(Redirected from
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738:. Retrieved
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426:(1955), the
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306:blood groups
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223:hypertension
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217:World War II
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130:Institutions
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80:(1983-07-20)
78:20 July 1983
43:Robert Walsh
36:
812:1983 deaths
807:1917 births
758:R. Winton,
391:Recognition
349:professor.
297:New Guinean
277:blood group
231:blood serum
91:Nationality
801:Categories
466:References
293:Aboriginal
107:Occupation
94:Australian
62:1917-01-03
785:Pathology
243:Red Cross
202:residency
198:MB and BS
99:Education
460:lymphoma
347:emeritus
318:albinism
740:9 March
714:4 March
688:4 March
630:9 March
604:4 March
558:5 March
514:4 March
326:anaemia
769:(2001)
762:(1999)
653:
420:Fellow
308:, the
273:Oxford
255:plasma
212:Career
385:NHMRC
259:serum
742:2024
716:2024
690:2024
651:ISBN
632:2024
606:2024
560:2024
516:2024
328:and
299:and
257:and
225:and
75:Died
56:Born
624:Sun
324:of
247:BTS
204:at
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157:AC
48:AC
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