Bloody Brilliant! Celebrating Dr. Angelyn Konugres (and Other Trail-Blazing Women Past, Present, and Future)
In honor of International Women’s Day, rather than spotlighting an emergent woman leader, I want to shine a bright light on a pioneering woman who’s been paving the way for women and girls (including me) for almost 100 years - my dear friend, role model, and mother-in-law, Dr. Angelyn Konugres.
The matriarch of my husband’s extended family, Dr. Konugres turned 97 this past October. Variously known by family and friends as mom, Dr. K, Lyn, Aunt Lyn, Angie, and Sassy (by my son, her adoring 10 year old grandson), Dr. K has led a BIG life — full of service, family, purpose, and plenty of life’s peaks and valleys.
Her list of life accomplishments is staggering (I’m going to share some of them below). But, like most women, she’s also a very humble and self-effacing person, far preferring that we celebrate others (and will be annoyed that I posted this). My husband, son and I stopped by her home a few years ago and discovered a coffee table book accidentally (that she would never have told us about had we not stumbled on it) about the blood medicine pioneers called “Bloody Brilliant.” The book has a whole section about her work!
The world’s first recipient of a Ph.D. in immunohematology, discoverer of two rare blood types, and a longtime Harvard Medical School faculty member, Dr. K is recognized internationally as an authority on hemolytic disease of the newborn, neonatal transfusion therapy, and blood testing for disputed parentage. She served as Director of the Blood Bank of the Los Angeles County General Hospital, USC School of Medicine, Research Associate and Associate Director for the Blood Grouping Laboratory in Boston, Director of the Blood Grouping Laboratory at Children’s Hospital in Boston, and as director of the Blood Bank at the Boston Hospital for Women. She was for many years Associate Director of the Blood Bank at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She served as a Principal Associate in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. K grew up in Colorado, and was one of six siblings and the first generation daughter of immigrant parents. Her young life was not without hardships, but she worked hard and persevered. She graduated from Colorado College in 1946. She earned her Masters degree at the Los Angeles County Hospital at the University of Southern California Medical School in 1948 with a focus on blood transfusion medicine. She directed the Los Angeles County blood bank for the next 9 years, after which she decided to pursue a research path in blood transfusion medicine, so new a field that it did not yet have a name.
With a research fellowship, she went to Cambridge University in England, and in 1959, became the world’s first recipient of a Ph.D. in immunohematology and an expert in hemolytic disease of the newborn caused by life-threatening maternal and infant blood incompatibilities. Dr. K studied under Dr. Robin Coombs, the renowned immunologist, discoverer of the Coombs test used for detecting antibodies in various clinical scenarios, such as Rh disease and blood transfusion. Dr. Konugres and Dr. Coombs maintained a lifelong friendship until Dr. Coombs’ passing in 2006.
Over the following decades, she continued to be a world-recognized pioneer and scientist, playing diverse roles of researcher, teacher, mentor, author, editor, and public communicator of science, as well as partner to her husband George and mother to her son Demetri (my husband). She authored many articles in medical journals and co-authored the book “Eradication of Hemolytic Diseases of the Newborn.”
She has served as Director of Research at Boston Hospital for Women, Director of Immunohematology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Principal Associate in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School. She has lectured worldwide and is an authority in neonatal blood diseases and transfusions and in paternity testing, an expert witness in legal cases on disputed parentage, and author of legal guidelines for the American Bar Association and the American Medical Association.
She was honored by Harvard and the Massachusetts Association of Blood Banks with the Angelyn Konugres Seminar in Immunohematology, by the American Association of Blood Banks with its Medallion for Leadership for her discovery of new blood factors, and by the Morton Grove-Rasmussen Memorial Award for scientific contributions to transfusion therapy. In 1985, Colorado College recognized Dr. K with its first Louis Benezet Award for extraordinary achievement that exemplifies the values of a liberal arts and sciences education, and in 2007, awarded her an Honorary Doctor of Science degree.
Throughout her scientific career, Dr. K continually practiced her commitment to civic engagement and education. She served on the Board of Trustees and as President of the Board of Trustees of Hellenic College Holy Cross School of Theology, Mt. Ida College, Anatolia College, and as a member of the Defense Department’s Advisory Committee for Women in the Armed Services when the military academies were being opened to women, the Boston World Affairs Council, and the executive council of the Oxford-Cambridge Society. She was the first woman in history to serve on the board of the Harvard Club of Boston. After retiring from her position at Harvard Medical School, she returned to take classes in the humanities and social sciences.
“Retirement”
Dr. K is in retirement now in Boulder, Colorado, but her version of that (when not in COVID-19 quarantine) includes taking classes in 19th Century Russian literature and art history at the University of Colorado and being active in several book, bridge, and news clubs — plus daily workouts!
She is a caring, compassionate, and loving person, always asking how others are getting along and doing any myriad of thoughtful and kind things to help them. One of the things that Lyn has become known for over the years — even amidst her busiest career years — is remembering everybody’s big days — birthdays, weddings, graduations, anniversaries, the death of close loved ones — and sending them cards filled with New Yorker cartoon clippings she’s hand-selected for them. She even remembers birthdays and special occasions of people in MY family — my sisters and brothers and their kids!
She is both hilarious and fierce, kind and no-nonsense. She has a keen wit, a probing mind, and a generous and giving nature. She is always celebrating others, cheering them on, lifting them up, telling them it’s going to be okay when they’re having a rough week/month/year. Two years ago, I posted on her Facebook page about her to celebrate her on “International Day of Women and Girls in Science,” and the love and admiration for her poured in from people around the world, “a trailblazer for all women,” “defiantly caring, compassionate and loving,” “an inspiration to all,” “best human being I’ve ever met,” “a Great Lady,” “There is no one quite like Aunt Lyn — a remarkable and extraordinary grandmother, mother, aunt, sister, scientist, professor and much more!” “a great lady who has a heart of gold,” “kind, caring and down to earth person,” and more.
Dr. K’s life has been marked by plenty of traditional success and accomplishment, but if asked, she would say what has been most meaningful in her life is her family and friends, including her life’s “great loves,” her husband George, son Demetri, and grandson George.
Just as Dr. K has done for almost a century, there are women in every community who are boldly, compassionately, and steadfastly making the world better and creating a brighter future for our children.
What amazing woman can you lift up today?
Postscript: I sat down with Dr. K this afternoon to let her know about this article, not wanting to embarrass or surprise her, and after she read it, she said, “Oh my goodness, is that me?”
Yes, that’s you, dear friend. Thank you for showing us all a life truly well-lived!
