This page is referenced by:

• 1 2022-04-22T16:26:22+00:00 Historical Figures and Trailblazers 27 Containing historical figures who broke barriers and achieved greatness in the health sciences plain 2024-04-10T23:46:27+00:00

  Historical Figures and Trailblazers

  Yellapragada SubbaRow (1896 - 1948) - Yellapragada SubbaRow was an influential Indian biochemist whose pioneering work laid the foundations for modern cellular biochemistry and cancer treatment. Born on January 12, 1895, in Bhimavaram, SubbaRow faced economic hardships early in life after his father, a government revenue officer, retired due to illness. SubbaRow's academic journey began with challenges, including multiple failures in entrance exams, before he pursued medical studies at Madras Medical College. His commitment to serving humanity led him to the Harvard School of Tropical Medicine in 1923. At Harvard, he collaborated with Cyrus Fiske, developing the Fiske-SubbaRow method for phosphorus measurement in solutions, a technique that became a biochemistry staple. His major scientific contributions include explaining the roles of phosphocreatine and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in muscle energy transactions and pioneering the use of folic acid analogs in cancer treatment. His collaborative work with Sidney Farber on the folic acid antagonist methotrexate marked a significant advance in chemotherapy, particularly for leukemia. Despite his untimely death in New York on August 9, 1948, SubbaRow's legacy endures in his profound impacts on biochemistry and medicine.
  Adler R. Yellapragada SubbaRow. In: Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia; 2022.
  
  Margaret Chung, MD (1899 - 1959) - Margaret Chung was the first American-born Chinese woman to become a physician in the United States. Born on October 2, 1889, in Santa Barbara, California, to Chinese immigrants, Chung faced significant racial and economic challenges from a young age. She managed to finance her own education through scholarships and various jobs, eventually graduating from the University of Southern California’s College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1916. After her residency, she worked as a staff surgeon at the Santa Fe Railroad Hospital and later opened private practices in Los Angeles and San Francisco. She was a founding physician of the Chinese Hospital in San Francisco’s Chinatown, providing much-needed medical care to the community there. During World War II, Chung became a pivotal figure in supporting U.S. military efforts. She was crucial in recruiting pilots for the Flying Tigers, a volunteer group that aided China against Japanese forces. Chung also organized the shipping of emergency supplies following the attack on Pearl Harbor and was an influential advocate for establishing the Naval Women’s Reserve, known as WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). Recognized for her contributions with the People's Medal from the Chinese government and acknowledgments from U.S. President Harry S. Truman, Chung's impact transcended her medical achievements, marking her as a significant figure in American history. 
  Woodbury M. Margaret Chung. In: Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia; 2023.
  
  Tetsuko Akutsu, MD, Ph.D. (1922 - 2007) - Dr. Tetsuzo Akutsu, a pioneer in artificial heart research, was born on August 20, 1922, in Nagoya, Japan. After graduating from Nagoya Imperial University Medical School in 1947, he began his groundbreaking work in artificial heart-lung bypass technology. His career took him from Nagoya to the United States, where he collaborated with Dr. Willem Kolff at the Cleveland Clinic in 1957 to initiate the development of the prosthetic heart. Dr. Akutsu’s work contributed significantly to the world’s first artificial heart implants in animals and later in humans. He held academic and research positions across prestigious institutions, including the University of Mississippi, where he achieved a world record in calf survival with his handmade artificial hearts in the early 1970s. His developments laid the foundation for modern ventricular assist devices and total artificial hearts, including commercially successful models like the AbioCor total artificial heart. Dr. Akutsu’s contributions were recognized worldwide, earning him numerous awards, including the Artificial Heart Research Award from Japan’s Ministry of Science and Technology and a Medal of Honor from the Emperor of Japan. Dr. Akutsu passed away on August 9, 2007, just shy of his 85th birthday, leaving behind a legacy of innovation that continues to save lives and advance the field of cardiovascular medicine.
  Takatani S. In remembrance of Dr. Tetsuzo Akutsu: a man who started artificial heart research. J Artif Organs. 2008;11(1):1-3.
  
  Har Gobind Khorana, Ph.D. (1922 - 2011) - Har Gobind Khorana was an esteemed organic chemist whose seminal work in molecular biology reshaped our understanding of genetic codes. Born on January 9, 1922, in Raipur, Punjab, he was the youngest of five children in a Hindu family. His father homeschooled Khorana before attending Punjab University, where he earned his BS and MS in Chemistry. With a doctoral fellowship, he moved to the University of Liverpool, obtaining his PhD in 1948. His career flourished in 1952 when he joined the University of British Columbia, Canada, becoming known for synthesizing coenzyme A. He later held a professorship at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he began his groundbreaking work on nucleic acids. His most notable achievements came from his research on the genetic code, leading to the synthesis of the first artificial gene. This work, which was pivotal in explaining how nucleic acids control protein synthesis, earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1968, alongside Marshall W. Nirenberg and Robert W. Holley. His extensive publications and numerous awards, including the National Medal of Science in 1987, underscore his profound impact on science. Khorana's work expanded our understanding of biological mechanisms and paved the way for advancements in medical and biotechnological applications. He passed away on November 9, 2011, in Concord, Massachusetts, leaving a legacy that continues to influence the scientific community.
  Vigue CL. Har Gobind Khorana. In: Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia; 2023.
  
  David Da-i Ho, MD (1952 - ) - Dr. David Ho is a Taiwanese-American AIDS researcher, physician, and virologist. Ho was born in Taiwan in 1952 before immigrating to the United States, where he grew up in Los Angeles. His series of high-profile papers in AIDS research, specifically on viral replication and dynamics, gave the first significant insights into the dynamics of HIV infection in humans. At age 37, Dr. Ho was chosen to run the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center (ADARC). Dr. Ho is perhaps best known for showing in 1996 that combining antiretroviral drugs can drive HIV down to undetectable levels. In 1996, he edged out Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, and Mother Teresa to become Time's Person of the Year.
  Mandavilli, A. (2004). Profile: David Ho. Nature Medicine, 10(11): 1150.
  
  Katherine Luzuriaga, MD - Dr. Luzuriaga is a board-certified Filipino-American physician and pediatric immunologist. She completed her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Biochemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and her medical degree at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Luzuriaga was named one of Time 100’s most influential people in the world in 2013 for being a member of a team that found a breakthrough that “functionally cures” newborns of AIDS when it is transmitted to them from their mother during birth. She has been at the forefront of pediatric HIV/AIDS research. She has received numerous accolades for her life-changing research, including a Scholar Award and the Elizabeth Glaser Scientist Award from the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
  ABIM. (2017). Notable Asian/Pacific American physicians in U.S. history. ABIMBlog. 
  
  Marjorie K. Leimomi Mala Mau, MD, MS, MACP, FRCP - Dr. Marjorie Mau, a Native Hawaiian health professor at the University of Hawaiʻi, is the first Native Hawaiian woman to be recognized as a "master" physician by the American College of Physicians. Dr. Mau is a top-funded researcher at the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine. She is also the principal investigator and director of the Center for Native and Pacific Health Disparities Research and holds the Myron P. Thompson Endowed Chair for Native Hawaiian Health. In 2010, Dr. Mau was featured by the National Institutes of Health as a worthy mentor for young scientists through the BioMedical Faces of Science program. She has served as the medical officer on Hōkūle’a, a traditional voyaging canoe in the Pacific, and written about the health benefits of ocean voyaging.
  Shelton, T. (2016.) Marjorie Mau first Native Hawaiian woman ranked master physician. University of Hawai'i News.