In Memoriam: Amoz Chernoff, MD

Amoz Chernoff, MD, a celebrated leader in the field of transfusion medicine, died on March 25 at age 100. Chernoff was a longtime member of AABB and served as the Association’s scientific advisor in the late 1980s.

Chernoff was perhaps best known for his role as Director of the Division of Blood Diseases and Resources at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a role in which he served from 1979 to 1988. Much of his work during this time focused on the then-emerging issue of transfusion-transmission of HIV. Chernoff led several research initiatives designed to improve safety and reduce the risk the risk of HIV in the blood supply.   

Prior to his years at the NIH, Chernoff served as director of medical research at the University of Tennessee Memorial Research Center and medical director of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In addition to his work on transfusion-transmission of HIV, he led research focusing on improving outcomes for patients with sickle cell disease and thalassemia.