Elisa Izaurralde

Elisa Izaurralde (1959 – 2018). For the second week in a row, our WiSE Wednesday profile honors the life of a female scientist we lost much too soon. We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of this Uruguayan biochemist and molecular biologist known for her research on RNA. In order to make...

Susan Williams

This #WiSEWednesday we honor Susan Williams, an amazing marine ecologist and environmental activist whose life was tragically cut short last week by a car accident. Williams researched marine coastal ecosystems (in particular seagrass, seaweed, and coral reef habitats) and how they are affected by human activities. She was a strong advocate for environmental protection,...

Youyou Tu

Youyou Tu received the 2015 Nobel Award in Medicine “for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria” – and, while the drug she developed may be novel, she drew inspiration from centuries-old traditional Chinese medicine. Tu was born in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China in 1930. A serious battle with tuberculosis as a teenager inspired...

Louise Slaughter

If you heard about last month's death of Louise Slaughter, it was probably in relation to her position as a member of the United States House of Representatives (representing New York). But did you know that Slaughter was also a microbiologist? This biology background was reflected in her advocacy for government funding of health...

Katharine Burr Blodgett

Katharine Burr Blodgett (1898-1979) invented “invisible” glass, which GE loved to tout, but they didn’t bother to include her in their 1953 Science article celebrating “75 years of research at GE laboratories.” So let’s give her some of the celebrating she deserves. Blodgett was born in Schenectady, New York. She never got to meet...

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