Blood transfusion, medicine and identity in the USA, Britain and Russia 1945-2010 (360G-Wellcome-096680_Z_11_Z)

The proposed project will examine how the use of blood in medicine has been received, understood, and challenged, both popularly and politically, since 1945, and what this reveals about changing notions of blood and identity in three different countries. The bloodshed of World War II led to rapid advances in blood storage, preservation and transfusion in the USA, Britain and the Soviet Union. In each country, these medical developments served to sharpen existing debates about blood and key identifiers such as race, class, sexuality and religion. The appeals, campaigns and representations for (and against) the use of blood in medicine which stemmed from identity are the subject of this research project. This has a resonance beyond the medical community as particular interpretations of blood and medicine influence mainstream medical practices and healthcare provision and thus the treatment of the population at large. The exploration of debates about blood in these three contexts offers insights into the way medical advances are received and how reception influences policy across cultures. The key goals include the publication of articles for medical practitioners (in English and in Russian) and for a scholarly journal.