Reuben Ottenberg

Reuben Ottenberg (* 1882 in New York City, † 1959) was an American physician and hematologist. He published his historically crucial work shortly before the First World War.

In 1907 he introduced the blood compatibility tests, he noted that although the present in a patient antibodies against donor blood are dangerous, but not vice versa ( After today's nomenclature is based on the so-called AB0 system). This led to the use of human blood group 0 (in words "zero") as a universal donor.

In 1954, he was the first to Karl Landsteiner Memorial Award of the American Society of Blood Banks for his life's work, namely numerous pioneering work and contributions about the blood transfusion.