Ruth_Sanger

Ruth Sanger
Ruth Ann Sanger FRS[1] (6 June 1918 – 4 June 2001)

was an Australian immunogeneticist, haematologist Ruth Sanger
and serologist. She was known for her work on human
red cell antigens and for the genetic mapping of the
human X chromosome.[2] She was Director of the
Medical Research Council Blood Group Unit, of the
Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine from 1973 to
1983.
She worked closely with Robert Russell Race from the

1940s, and they married in 1956. They co-authored
many papers after 1948, and co-wrote six editions of a
leading work on blood groups, Blood Groups in Man,
which helped make blood transfusions safer.[3] The
book was known as "Race and Sanger", which were
published between 1950 and 1975.[4]
Ruth Sanger c. 1950
Born Ruth Ann Sanger
Education and early life 6 June 1918
Southport, Queensland, Australia
Sanger was born in Southport, Queensland, Australia Died 4 June 2001 (aged 82)
and had four siblings.[5] Her father, Rev. Hubert Putney, London, England
Sanger, became headmaster of Armidale School in Alma mater Sydney University
New South Wales. She was first cousins with Frederick University of London
Sanger, the biochemist and two-time winner of the
Known for Haematology, serology, Fellow of
Nobel prize.[6]
the Royal Society
She received her early education in New South Wales Spouse Robert Russell Race (1956-1984)
at three schools: Harleyville Ladies College (1924– Relatives Fred Sanger (first cousin)
1926), New England Girls school, Armidale (1926–
Awards Gairdner Foundation International
1927), and Abbotsleigh Wahrounga (1928–35).[5]
Award(1972)
She went on to receive a Bachelor of Science from Fellow of the Royal
Sydney University (1940),[7] and earned a PhD from Society(1972)[1]
the University of London (1948).[3]
Career
From 1940 to 1946 she worked as a haematologist for the Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service in
Sydney, Australia.[8] In 1946, she moved to England to work with R.R. Race at the Medical Research
Counsil (MRC), Blood Group Unit. While there, she received a doctorate from the University of London
in 1948 on the variety of blood group systems. She returned to Australia after receiving her doctorate, but
then moved permanently to the United Kingdom in 1950 and remained at the MRC until 1973.
The first edition of Blood Groups in Man was published in August 1950, based on the systematic analysis
of blood groups in her PhD thesis.
In 1973, she succeeded R.R. Race as Director of the Medical Research Council's Blood Group Unit at the
Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine in London. She retired in 1983.[9]
Honours and awards

Karl Landsteiner Memorial Award, USA (1957), joint with R. R. Race[7]
Philip Levine Award, USA (1970), joint with R. R. Race[10]
Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) (1972)[1][11][12]
Gairdner Foundation International Award (1972, Canada), joint with R. R. Race[13]
Oliver Memorial Award from the British Red Cross (1973)[14]
Received an honorary Doctor of Medicine (MD (Honoris Causa)) from the Helsinki
University (1990)[7]
Her nomination for the Royal Society reads:[2]
Immunogeneticist and Member of the Scientific Staff of the Medical Research Council's Blood
Group Unit at the Lister Institute of Preventivie Medicine in the University of London.
Distinguished for her work on human red cell antigens and for the genetic mapping of the
human X chromosome.
Personal life
Sanger married Race on April 6, 1956 following the death of Race's first wife.[15]
Death
Ruth Sanger died in Putney in 2001. She had three step-children.
Selected publications
Sanger, Ruth A. (1946-10). "The Incomplete Antibody : a Quantitative Aspect". Nature. 158
(4014): 487–487. doi:10.1038/158487a0. ISSN 1476-4687.
Race, R. R.; Mourant, A. E.; Lawler, Sylvia D.; Sanger, Ruth (1948-06-01). "THE Rh
CHROMOSOME FREQUENCIES IN ENGLAND". Blood. 3 (6): 689–695.
doi:10.1182/blood.V3.6.689.689. ISSN 0006-4971.
Sanger, Ruth (1955-12). "An Association Between the P And Jay Systems of Blood Groups".
Nature. 176 (4494): 1163–1164. doi:10.1038/1761163a0. ISSN 1476-4687.
External links
The Robert Race and Ruth Sanger papers are kept at the Wellcome Library. They have been digitised and
are available online (http://wellcomelibrary.org/collections/digital-collections/makers-of-modern-genetic
s/digitised-archives/robert-race-ruth-sanger).
References
1. Hughes-Jones, N.; Tippett, P. (2003). "Ruth Ann Sanger 6 June 1918 - 4 June 2001" (https://
doi.org/10.1098%2Frsbm.2003.0027). Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal
Society. 49: 461–473. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2003.0027 (https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frsbm.2003.
0027). PMID 14989272 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14989272).
2. "Election of Ruth Sanger as Fellow of the Royal Society" (http://wellcomelibrary.org/item/b17
539109). Wellcome Library. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
3. "Ruth Sanger, 82, Expert on Blood Grouping" (https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/04/world/ru
th-sanger-82-expert-on-blood-grouping.html). The New York Times. 4 July 2001.
ISSN 0362-4331 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). Retrieved 23 November
2019.
4. Ruth Sanger archive collection (http://wellcomelibrary.org/collections/digital-collections/make
rs-of-modern-genetics/digitised-archives/robert-race-ruth-sanger/) – Wellcome Library
finding aid
5. Hughes-Jones, Nevin; Tippett, Patricia (December 2003). "Ruth Ann Sanger. 6 June 1918 –
4 June 2001" (https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frsbm.2003.0027). Biographical Memoirs of
Fellows of the Royal Society. 49: 461–473. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2003.0027 (https://doi.org/10.
1098%2Frsbm.2003.0027). ISSN 0080-4606 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0080-4606).
PMID 14989272 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14989272).
6. Brownlee, George G. (31 December 2015). "Frederick Sanger CBE CH OM. 13 August
1918 — 19 November 2013" (https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frsbm.2015.0013). Biographical
Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 61: 437–466. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2015.0013 (https://
doi.org/10.1098%2Frsbm.2015.0013). ISSN 0080-4606 (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/00
80-4606).
7. Melbourne, National Foundation for Australian Women and The University of. "Sanger, Ruth
Anne - Woman - The Australian Women's Register" (https://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/
AWE0111b.htm). www.womenaustralia.info. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
8. Haines, Catharine M. C.; Stevens, Helen M. (2001). International Women in Science: A
Biographical Dictionary to 1950 (https://archive.org/details/internationalwom00hain). ABC-
CLIO. p. 277 (https://archive.org/details/internationalwom00hain/page/277). ISBN 978-1-
57607-090-1. "ruth sanger thesis university of london blood group."
9. Mollison, P. L. (2004) "Race, Robert Russell (1907–1984)" (http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/
article/76043) in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press.
10. "1970 Philip Levine Award of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, jointly awarded
to Robert Race and Ruth Sanger" (http://wellcomelibrary.org/item/b17541554). Wellcome
Library. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
11. "SANGER, Dr Ruth Ann, (Mrs R. R. Race)" (http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/
whowaswho/U33856) in Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008, Oxford University Press.
12. Ruth Sanger, 82, Expert on Blood Grouping (https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/04/world/rut
h-sanger-82-expert-on-blood-grouping.html). NY Times obituary, 4 July 2001
13. "Gairdner Foundation Award jointly awarded to Robert Race and Ruth Sanger" (http://wellco
melibrary.org/item/b17541530). Wellcome Library. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
14. Sanger, Ruth Ann (http://www.eoas.info/biogs/P004510b.htm). Encyclopedia of Australian
Science
15. Melbourne, National Foundation for Australian Women and The University of. "Sanger, Ruth
Anne - Woman - The Australian Women's Register" (https://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/
AWE0111b.htm). www.womenaustralia.info. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
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Ruth Sanger

Ruth Ann Sanger FRS[1] (6 June 1918 – 4 June 2001)

She worked closely with Robert Russell Race from the

Honours and awards

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ruth_Sanger&oldid=1257954043"

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