Prof. dr. Jon van Rood

Career Overview
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Prof. Jon J. van Rood was a pioneering immunologist and founder of the field of histocompatibility in Europe. He was one of the scientists who discovered HLA. He established the Department of Immunohematology at Leiden University Medical Center and was instrumental in the creation of Eurotransplant, revolutionizing organ allocation across borders. He also was the founder of Europdonor (now Matchis) thereby giving a boost to stem cell transplants and related research . His groundbreaking work on HLA typing and immune responses laid the foundation for modern transplantation medicine. A mentor to generations of scientists, he received numerous international honors for his scientific and humanitarian contributions before his passing in 2017.