Significant Figures and Trailblazers
Significant Figures and Trailblazers
Yellapragada SubbaRow (1896 - 1948) - Dr. 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 people 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 (1899 - 1959) - Dr. 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, Dr. 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, Dr. Chung became a pivotal figure in 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, Dr. 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 (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 (1922 - 2011) - Dr. 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. Dr. 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.
Katherine Luzuriaga - Dr. Katherine Luzuriaga was recognized by Time magazine in 2013 as one of the 100 most influential people, along with her colleagues Hannah Gay, MD, and Deborah Persaud, MD, for their work on a functional cure for HIV in an infant known as the "Mississippi baby." Born and raised in the Philippines, she came to the United States to study at MIT as an undergraduate. Dr. Luzuriaga has been researching HIV and maternal-child transmission for nearly three decades. In the 1990s, she and her mentor John Sullivan, MD, established a maternal-child AIDS clinic at UMMS and conducted studies showing that early antiretroviral treatment could suppress HIV infection in infants. This laid the groundwork for the breakthrough case with the Mississippi baby, where the infant received aggressive early treatment and has remained HIV-free. Dr. Luzuriaga is now involved in developing protocols to further test whether very early antiretroviral therapy can clear HIV infection in infants. Her work has been supported by funding from the NIH, as well as organizations like the American Foundation for AIDS Research and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Her dedication to advancing HIV research and care has had a significant impact on the lives of women and children affected by the disease.
Zobel S. ‘Functional’ HIV cure offers real hope. UMass Chan Medical School. Published December 27, 2013. Accessed April 16, 2024.
Marjorie K. Leimomi Mala Mau - 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. Marjorie Mau first Native Hawaiian woman ranked master physician. University of Hawai’i News. Published May 10, 2016. Accessed April 16, 2024.
