John R. Hess, MD, MPH, FACP, FAAAS, is Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and Adjunct Professor of Medicine and Hematology at the University of Washington in Seattle. He serves as a Medical Director of the Transfusion Service at Harborview Medical Center and formerly as Chief of Transfusion Medicine for the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology. He attended medical school at the University of Washington, earned his Masters in Public Health at the University of Hawaii, and is board certified in internal medicine, hematology, medical oncology, blood banking and transfusion medicine, and general preventive medicine and public health. He is the author of more than 350 papers and book chapters, inventor of hemorrhage control systems and methods for extending RBC storage, and the holder of seven U.S. patents. He serves as an associate editor of TRANSFUSION and had previously served as Chair of the NIH Transfusion Medicine study section and on the WHO Blood Transfusion Medicine Expert Panel. Dr. Hess is retired after 24 years of active service in the U.S. Army and U.S. Public Health Service and had previously served as Director of Health of the Territory of American Samoa. Dr. Hess’s current research involves blood product development, hemorrhage control and clinical blood use.