Celebrating Women’s History Month

Happy Women’s History Month!

In honor of this year’s Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting a few notable female trailblazers in the medical space. Please see below:

Dr. Patricia Goldman-Rakic (1937-2003)

Dr. Patricia Goldman-Rakic was the first person to map the human brain’s prefrontal cortex. Goldman-Rakic’s groundbreaking research continues to help scientists today understand neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, and schizophrenia.

Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler (1831-1895)

Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first African American woman in the United States to become a doctor of medicine, getting her degree in 1864, while the Civil War still raged on. After earning her medical degree, she cared for formerly enslaved people in the Freedman’s Bureau and published a book detailing her experience as a doctor entitled, A Book of Medical Discourses.

Dr. Nanette Kass Wegner (1930 – Present)

In addition to being one of the first women to graduate from Harvard Medical School, Dr. Nanette Kass Wegner was one of the first physicians to focus on heart disease in women. Kass Wegner has spent over 50 years researching gender differences in heart disease treatment. Prior to her scientific contributions, heart disease was thought to primarily affect men.

These three women’s medical innovations have impacted the lives of millions of Americans and continue to inform and inspire new scientific discoveries.