From ancient herbalists to modern-day researchers, women have played an important role in advancing our understanding of medicine. However, their achievements have often been overlooked or undervalued. And so, as we celebrate Women’s History Month this March, the least we can do is take a closer look at the remarkable history of women in pharmaceutical sciences and the impact they have had on the field.
From the first female pharmacists to the pioneers of drug discovery, the stories of these women serve as a testament to the power of passion and innovation in science. Here are seven of the many women in pharmaceutical sciences you should know.
Marie Curie
Born in 1867, Marie Curie is one of the most well-known women in science — and for a good reason. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only woman in history to win in two different scientific disciplines (physics and chemistry).
Her contribution to radioactivity research, such as the creation of a means for measuring radioactivity, has not only advanced our understanding of the fundamental nature of matter but also paved the way for important medical applications such as radiation therapy for cancer treatment.
Frances Oldham Kelsey
Kelsey was just one month into her new job as a pharmacologist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when she was tasked to review thalidomide. She had spent decades teaching pharmacology, so after reviewing the data, she quickly noticed that thalidomide had potentially harmful side effects. So she didn’t approve the drug. Instead, she pushed for the drug to be banned despite it being a popular drug for sleeping issues in Europe.
A year later, it was discovered that thalidomide caused severe birth defects. Kelsey’s tireless efforts to protect the public from the potential harm of new drugs led to the development of stronger drug regulation laws in the United States. She became the second woman to be awarded the President’s Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service. She was also the first person to win the FDA’s Drug Safety Excellence Award.
Gertrude Elion
With a degree in chemistry, Elion worked as a secretary, a chemistry teacher, and an unpaid lab employee. Fortunately, when World War II reduced the ranks of male chemists, Elion got a job at Burroughs Wellcome, a pharmaceutical company.
In her time there, she played a key role in the development of drugs such as azathioprine, which revolutionized the treatment of organ transplantation, and acyclovir, an antiviral medication used to treat herpes and fight chickenpox and shingles. She was awarded a Nobel prize in physiology in 1988. Elion’s groundbreaking research paved the way for the development of many other life-saving medications.
Elion later died in 1999 at the age of 81, but her drug development research still saves people to date.
Brigitte Askonas
Brigitte Askonas was an immunologist whose work focused on understanding how the body’s immune system responds to infections. Askonas conducted research on the mechanisms behind allergic reactions and helped to identify key immune cells involved in the process. Through this research, she led the development of new treatments for allergies, including immunotherapy.
Askonas was also a pioneer in the field of T-cell immunology. She played a key role in the development of a new generation of vaccines that target T cells rather than antibodies. These vaccines have the potential to provide long-lasting protection against infectious diseases, which includes those that were difficult to prevent with traditional antibody-based vaccines.
Leila Denmark
Leila Denmark was a pediatrician who practiced medicine for 73 years. She retired when she was 103 years old in 2001. Dr. Denmark is best known for her work in the development of a vaccine for whooping cough, a disease that was responsible for countless deaths in infants in the 1930s. When this epidemic hit her community in 1932, Dr. Denmark embarked on a journey to study the disease, and over the next six years, she published her findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Her work with Eli Lilly and the researchers at Emory University led to the development of a successful vaccine.
Her dedication to her patients and her tireless efforts to improve healthcare for children earned her widespread recognition and respect both locally and nationally. She died in 2012 when she was 114 years old.
Emma Walmsley
Emma Walmsley has made a name for herself as the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline. She is the first woman to hold this position in the company’s 300-year history.
In her first year on the job, she replaced 40% of the company’s top managers to bring in more diverse perspectives and new ideas. Emma, whose background is in business and who has worked in both the pharmaceutical and consumer products industries, is planning to divest some of the company’s assets to focus on specific areas of the business. As one of the most influential women in pharmaceutical sciences, Walmsley has clearly shown that she is willing to make changes and take the company in a new direction.
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett
Dr. Kizzmekia is the scientific lead for the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). During the coronavirus pandemic, Corbett played a crucial role in the development of one of the most effective vaccines — the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
Corbett helped design and test the vaccine. She used her knowledge of viruses and the immune system to develop a way to train our bodies to recognize and fight the virus if we are exposed to it.
Phenomenal Women in Pharmaceutical Sciences
As you can see, there are many women who have gone above and beyond to make the pharmaceutical industry what it is today. Women have always been at the forefront of groundbreaking research and innovative drug development. They have been there championing the provision of high-quality healthcare. And so, as we celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, let us remember and honor these trailblazing women in pharmaceutical sciences who have shaped the world of medicine and inspired generations of female scientists to come.
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