Women Who Broke Barriers in Rare Disease
From trailblazing researchers to game-changing public health advocates, women in medicine historically faced marginalization due to their gender, and, in some cases, their race. Nonetheless, they changed the playbook for the physicians who would follow them, as well as for the patients who would benefit from their discoveries in the future. Take a look at some of their stories.
HELEN BROOKE TAUSSIG, MD (1898-1986)
“Blue Baby” Syndrome/Congenital Heart Defects
Dr. Taussig is widely regarded as the founder of pediatric cardiology. She spent most of her career at Johns Hopkins University, where she served as a cardiology fellow and, beginning in 1930, head of the Children’s Heart Clinic. Among her most famous contributions to the field is the development of an operation to treat “blue baby” syndrome, a condition that can affect newborns with rare congenital heart defects.
2. MARILYN HUGHES GASTON, MD (1939-)
Sickle Cell Anemia
Dr. Gaston’s work has had a significant impact on the standard of care and mortality rates for sickle cell anemia. Born in Cincinnati shortly after the Great Depression, Dr. Gaston had to overcome pervasive racism, sexism, and poverty to pursue her dream of becoming a physician. She was one of just six women and the only Black student in her class at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. In 1986, she published an important study showing the effectiveness of penicillin in preventing serious bacterial infections in children with sickle cell disease. In 1990, she became the first Black woman to be appointed director of the US Bureau of Primary Health Care.
3. PHILIPPA MARRACK, MD (1945-)
T-Cell Receptor Research
Dr. Marrack is a British-born physician specializing in immunology. She is best known for her work on T-cells, important components of the immune system. In 1983, Dr. Marrack and Dr. John Kappler, her collaborator and husband, were among the first to isolate the T-cell receptor, which helps the immune system recognize antigens (substances that stimulate the production of antibodies). In recent years, Dr. Marrack’s research has focused on understanding the higher incidence in women of particular autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and multiple sclerosis.
4. ANNIE DODGE WAUNEKA (1910-1997)
Tuberculosis
Annie Dodge Wauneka, a member of the Navajo Nation, was born on a reservation near Sawmill, Arizona. While she was growing up, an influenza outbreak caused the deaths of thousands of Navajos, many of whom Wauneka knew. She went on to earn a degree in public health at the University of Arizona, and dedicated her career to improving health conditions for the Navajo community. She accomplished her mission not only through her public health outreach, but also through politics. She campaigned for a position on the Tribal Council, and in 1951 became only the second woman ever elected to a council position. She was reelected six times, and during one election even defeated her husband, rancher George Wauneka. As chair of the health committee within the Tribal Council, Wauneka tackled a number of pressing public health concerns. These included tuberculosis, a disease disproportionately affecting Native American communities. In 1963, Wauneka became the first Native American to be honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
5. DOROTHY ANDERSEN, MD, PhD (1901-1963)
Cystic Fibrosis
Dr. Andersen started a career in pathology after being denied a surgical residency in the 1920s due to her gender. That decision led her down a path that would have significant impacts on medicine. She became chief of pathology at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in 1958. While conducting an autopsy on a child with celiac disease, she noticed an abnormality that piqued her interest. Her subsequent research led her to the discovery of a condition she named cystic fibrosis. She developed a diagnostic test for the disease that is still used today, and later was named honorary chair of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
