Bryce, Lucy Meredith (1897-1968), was an Australian hematologist. Hematology is a branch of medicine that deals with the structure, functions, and diseases of the blood . It also concerns the body tissues and organs that produce the cells and other substances that make up blood. Bryce did important work to establish blood banks and blood transfusion services in Australia .
Bryce was born on June 12, 1897, in Lindfield, a suburb of Sydney, in New South Wales. She studied at the University of Melbourne , receiving medical degrees in 1922. From 1922 to 1928, she conducted research at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) in Melbourne. Beginning in 1929, she helped to establish and directed a blood transfusion service for the Australian Red Cross Society. New techniques in donating and storing blood had been developed in the years since World War I (1914-1918). Bryce helped introduce these techniques into Australian medical facilities. She continued her work in blood transfusion services through World War II (1939-1945) and in the years following the war.
In 1951, Bryce was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her contributions to health care in Australia. She retired in 1954 but remained involved in blood transfusion services. She died on July 30, 1968.
