Talk:Willy A. Flegel

Willy Albert Flegel (born June 3, 1960) is a German-American medical researcher, geneticist, and physician who is best known for his work in the field of the Rh blood group. Flegel is the chief of the laboratory services section of the Department of Transfusion Medicine at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (NIH).

Early life and education
Flegel was born in Dieburg, Germany. He attended Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Germany to study medicine, where he also obtained an M.D. by research. He trained as specialist for transfusion medicine at the Universität Ulm, Germany and in molecular biology research at the University of California, San Diego. He completed his habilitation (Privatdozent) at the Universität Ulm.

Career
Flegel has medical licenses issued by the state of Hessen, Germany and the state of Maryland, and holds certification by the Board of Physicians Baden-Würrtemberg, specialty transfusion medicine. Clinical appointments included: chief, department of immunohematology Immunohaematology at the German Red Cross Blood Service Baden-Würrtemberg - Hessen in Ulm for 16 years. Flegel came to the NIH Clinical Center in 2009 and remains at the NIH as the chief of the laboratory services section in the department of transfusion medicine.

Academic appointments include
Professor (apl. Prof.) Academic ranks in Germany at the Universität Ulm, Professors in the United States Adjunct professor at Georgetown University Medical CenterWashington D.C, and Guest Professor at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan Hubei, China.

Medical research
Flegel has received recognition for his research leading to the discovery of the molecular structure of the the Rh gene locus and most of the clinically relevant molecular variants in the RHD RHD (gene) and RHCE genes. He proved that the weak expression of the D antigen Rh blood group system is caused by Rh protein variants, which enabled a precision medicine Precision medicine approach to Rh prophylaxis Rho(D) immune globulin in pregnancy. This work in collaboration with Franz F. Wagner refuted a scientific opinion that had been taught for decades. He showed the RHCE gene is the ancestral gene Ancestor at the Rh gene locus and a gene duplication Gene duplication event produced the RHD gene, which encodes the D antigen in humans (Rh positive phenotype). He explained that the prevalent Rh negative phenotype in humans occurred in a subsequent gene deletion Deletion (genetics) event, eliminating the RHD gene.

Honors and awards

 * 2017 NIH Clinical Center CEO Award


 * 2015 NIH Clinical Center Director’s Award


 * 2014 Visiting Professor, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan, Hubei, China


 * 2012 NIH Clinical Center Director’s Award


 * 2010 NIH Clinical Center Director’s Award


 * 2005 Membre d'honneur, Association Suisse de Médecine Transfusionnelle


 * 2004 Philip-Levine-Preis, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Transfusionsmedizin und Immunhämatologie

Weblinks

 * The phylogeny of 48 alleles, experimentally verified (YouTube-Video 2019)


 * The Rhesus Site (Universität Ulm)


 * Literatur von W A Flegel im Katalog der National Library of Medicine (PubMed)


 * Interview in Berlin 2010