Ruby Hirose was an American biochemist and bacteriologist. She earned her master’s in pharmacology from the University of Washington in 1928 and then moved to the University of Cincinnati where she earned her doctoral degree in 1932. During World War II her family lived in Washington state, were they were imprisoned in internment camps. Dr. Hirose avoided imprisonment because she was working in the state of Ohio as a chemist, far from an American coast.
Ruby was hired by the research division of the William S. Merrell Company where she worked with serums and antitoxins. In 1940, she was among ten women recognized by the American Chemical Society for her accomplishments in chemistry. Hirose later made major contributions to the development of vaccines against infantile paralysis. Ruby Hirose performed ground breaking research related to vaccines for polio.