Women Who Have Shaped the World of Medicine
It is not easy to be a pioneer – but oh, it is fascinating!
Elizabeth Blackwell
As I think most of you know, I work in healthcare, I have done for some time. During that time one of the gratifying things I’ve seen is a huge increase in the number of women in senior positions, clinicians, nurse management and managers within allied healthcare professions. The hospital trust proudly announced this week that we now have more female, and people that identify as female managers than males! So, this week I’m dedicating my post to some of those female trail-blazers who have helped lead the way in the transformation of healthcare.
Metrodora (c. 200-400 AD)
Metrodora, a Greek female physician, wrote On the Diseases and Cures of Women, the oldest medical text known to be written by a woman. Notably, it did not include information on obstetrics, the study of childbirth, which was extremely rare in a time when women were restricted to gynaecology and midwifery. However, Metodora is known to have covered all areas of medicine related to women, developing various therapies and surgical techniques that were revolutionary in her time. She was heavily influenced by the work of Greek physician Hippocrates, and her work has influenced and been referenced by many other physician writers throughout history.
Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910)
British-born Elizabeth Blackwell is best known as the first woman to earn a medical degree (MD) in the US. She was raised in a forward-thinking, socially active family. Her father was a passionate advocate for the abolition of slavery, and her siblings went on to campaign for women’s rights. After facing rejection from several universities, Blackwell was finally accepted to Geneva Medical College in 1847. She received hostility from her fellow students at first, eventually earning their respect and graduating first in her class in 1849. In 1857, she opened the New York Infirmary for Women and Children along with her sister, Dr Emily Blackwell (the third woman to earn an MD) and Dr Marie Zakrzewska.
Blackwell played an important role in both the United States and the United Kingdom as a social awareness and moral reformer, and promoted education for women in medicine through her inspirational book Pioneer Work in Opening the Medical Profession to Women.
Marie Curie (1867-1934)
Polish mathematician and scientist Marie Curie collaborated with her husband, Pierre, to discover two chemical elements in the periodic table: polonium and radium. This important work observed that there was a relationship between radioactivity and the heavy elements of the periodic table, and led to much advancement in medicine. Most notably, it led the way to the development of the x-ray, which allowed internal imagery to be used for diagnosis without the need for open surgery, and radiation therapy for treating cancer.
During WWI, Marie and her daughter Irene brought mobile X-Ray machines and radiology units to the front line, which allowed more than a million wounded soldiers to be treated.
Curie earned a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903, and yet another in Chemistry in 1911, the first and only woman to have been honoured twice. The Curie Institute in Paris, she founded in 1920, is still a major cancer research facility today.
Gerty Cori (1896-1957)
Another Nobel Prize winner, Gerty Cori, earned the prestigious award for her work in medicine/physiology in 1947. Cori was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in this category. She worked with her husband, Carl Ferdinand Cori, with whom she shared an interest in preclinical science, to prove vital concepts in genetics. Their work led to the discovery that an enzyme deficiency could be responsible for metabolism disorders. They also carried out multiple studies on the action of hormones, focusing on the pituitary gland. Over her lifetime, Gerty won several other awards in recognition for her contributions to science and earned honorary Doctor of Science degrees from Boston University, Smith College, Yale, Columbia and Rochester between 1948 and 1955.
Virginia Apgar (1909-1974)
Virginia Apgar is famous for her invention of the Apgar score, (we still use it now!) a vital test that was quickly adopted by doctors to test whether newborn babies required urgent medical attention. The Apgar score is responsible for reducing infant mortality rates considerably and is still used today to assess the clinical condition of newborns in the first few minutes of life. Apgar was the first woman to become a full professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Patricia Goldman-Rakic (1937-2003)
Neuroscientist Patricia Goldman-Rakic is recognised for her studies of the brain, particularly, the frontal lobes and how it relates to memory. She gained her bachelor’s degree in Neurology from Vassar in 1959, and then her doctorate from the University of California in Developmental Psychology in 1963. Her multidisciplinary research significantly contributed to the understanding of neurological diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and her study of dopamine and its effects on the brain is essential to modern day understanding of conditions such as schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958)
British scientist Rosalind Franklin is best known for her work in understanding the structure of DNA, using x-ray photographs to solve its complexities. Her identification of the double helix has led to huge advances in the field of genetics and modern medicine. Franklin also led pioneering work on the molecular structures of RNA viruses and Polio.
Franklin had a passion for science from an early age and decided to become a scientist at the age of 15. She fought against her father’s reluctance to let her undertake higher education and graduated from Cambridge University in 1941. She worked for many years as a first-rate scientist and were it not for her untimely death from cancer in 1958, it is highly likely that she would have shared Nobel Prizes in both 1962 and 1982 for work that she had a huge role in during her lifetime.
Francoise Barré-Sinoussi (born 1947)
Parisian scientist Francoise Barré-Sinoussi is celebrated for her discovery of HIV as the cause of the immunodeficiency disease, AIDS. In 2008, Barré, along with Luc Montagnier, discovered that the HIV retrovirus attacked lymphocytes, a blood cell that plays an important role in the body’s immune system. Her vital work has helped millions of people who are HIV-positive to live long, healthy lives, and could pave the way for a cure in the near future.
What’s on this week?
Head & Eyes – LeLutka EvoX Avalon 4.0
Face Skin – DeeTaleZ Love for LELEVOX / BROWS: none/ MixCold
Shape – DeeTaleZ Shape for Lelu EVOX Heads "Love" - Tweaked!
Nails – . PUKI . (FIX-MID-ONLY) Square Nails. Maitreya
Rings – (Yummy) Raw Crystal Rings - Maiterya
Earrings – (Yummy) Heavy Metal Curated Earrings EvoX @ this round of Collabor88
Necklace – (Yummy) Seaside Necklace - Maitreya
Top, Cardi & Shorts – Lunar - Dasy (Petite X) *PBR @ this round of Equal10
Shoes – UtopiaDesign - "DIANA" - (M.LaraX)
Pictures taken at the all new Lesbian Teahouse, Established in the heady days of 2008, the Teahouse has been a steadfast presence in the Second Life community. It’s like that cozy corner of your favorite café where you can sip chai, share secrets, and feel right at home. 🏡
Designed and built by the uber talented Jennifer Halloway and owned and managed by my dear, wonderful friends, Alex & Leslie Snickerdoodle who have managed to regain the quintessential charm of the original Teahouse and have added their own flair and sophistication. I was once a regular but stopped going as it started to slide however, I'm back to being a regular(ish) and enjoying the familiarity and friendships I've developed over the years!
If you identify as female, come take a look at The Lesbian Teahouse!
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