Innovations

was an advocate for increasing minorities in marine science & oceanography; saw education as the way to escape from poverty; wrote "Science of Man's Environment-Principles of Science & Technology for Environment, Marine, Engineering, & Ocean Science Technology" a textbook in 1986; helped develop job opportunities for minorities in marine science & oceanography; established & operated the Marine Science Technology program at Washington Technology Institute & later at the University of the District of Columbia; helped establish "Passing the Bar" Testing Techniques to help minorities pass the bar exam; wrote "Impact of Man on the Environment: Pollution & Radiation" a book about environmental law; her paper "Tidal Energy & the Energy Crisis-An Assessment of Technology & the Interrelationship" in 1979 discussed the energy crisis with a focus on tidal energy

1st person to train sharks to press targets & choose between targets of different shapes & colors & to develop "test tube" babies in female fish; 1972 discovered Moses sole a species that lives in the Red Sea & produces a natural, but short-lived, shark repellant; helped prove sharks don't need to move in order to breath; 1995 her team discovered whale sharks give birth to live young; was a frequent contributor to National Geographic; conducted groundbreaking research on sand fish; was an advocate for marine & reef conservation

* Johnson researches and teaches in the field of Aquatic radiochemistry * various biochemical indicators are used to interpret past events which impact marine, estuarine & freshwater environments * participates in numerous diversity-focused initiatives in marine/ocean academia * created "Minorities Striving & Pursuing Higher Degrees Success in Earth System Science (MS PHDS).

* Wright is credited with development of the techniques of using human tissue culture rather than lab mice to test the effects of potential drugs on cancer cells. * Pioneered the use of methotrexate to treat breast & skin cancer. * Developed a non-surgical procedure using a catheter to deliver chemotherapy drugs to previously inaccessible tumors in the kidneys & spleen.

* Cobb's research included work on the relationship between melanin and skin damage, and on the effects of hormones, ultraviolet light, and chemotherapy agents on cell division. * Cobb discovered that methotrexate was effective in the treatment of certain skin cancers, lung cancers, and childhood leukemia. * This drug is still being used in chemotherapy today to give treatment to a variety of cancers and autoimmune diseases.

* Slye’s work focused on the heritability of cancer in mice. She raised—and kept pedigrees for—150,000 mice during her career. * Her belief that cancer was a recessive trait that could be eliminated through breeding caused clashes with fellow scientists. * She was also an advocate for the comprehensive archiving of human medical records, believing that proper mate selection would help eradicate cancer. * She was one of the first scientists to suggest that cancer can be an inherited disease. For that Slye was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1923.

* In 1986, Bath was able to begin early studies in laser cataract surgery, including her first experiment with excimer laser photoablation using human eye bank eyes. * Bath coined the term "laser phaco" for the process, short for laser photoablative cataract surgery, and developed the laser phaco probe, a medical device that improves on the use of lasers to remove cataracts, and "for ablating and removing cataract lenses". * Bath first had the idea for this type of device in 1981, but did not apply for a patent until several years later. The device was completed in 1986, which quickly and nearly painlessly dissolves the cataract with a laser, irrigates and cleans the eye and permits the easy insertion of a new lens. * It is now used internationally to treat the disease. Bath continued to improve the device and successfully restored vision to people who had been unable to see for decades.

known for the development of optoelectronic processing systems 3-D imaging & color-management systems; 1985 co-founded NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Optoelectric Computing Systems; founder of Enduring Hydro a clean-energy firm; holds 50 patents

* Nash-Stevenson joined the instrumentation group in Marshall Space Flight Center's avionics lab, where she worked for nearly ten years. * She was awarded a NASA Fellowship in 1998, and eventually joined the space craft and vehicle systems group. * During her career Nash-Stevenson worked on photon upconversion (UC). * This is a process in which the sequential absorption of two or more photons leads to the emission of light at shorter wavelength than the excitation wavelength. * An example is the conversion of infrared light to visible light. * Upconversion can take place in both organic and inorganic materials, through a number of different mechanisms.

* Ochoa was enticed by optical systems and committed to improving its applications for performing information processing. She wanted to help computers "see". * NASA later recognized her methods in optics could be used in inspecting for flaws during fabrication, or it might be used on a space vehicle such as the Rover. * At the NASA Ames Research Center, she led a research group working primarily on optical systems for automated space exploration. * At Sandia National Laboratories, she applied what she knew about optics to the research being done on nuclear weapons. * She patented an optical system to detect defects in a repeating pattern and is a co-inventor on three patents for an optical inspection system, an optical object recognition method, and a method for noise removal in images.

* Strickland was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018, together with Gerard Mourou, for the practical implementation of chirped pulse amplification (CPA) * Method of making pulses of laser light of high power & short duration * Technique whereby laser pulse is stretched out temporally and spectrally, then amplified, and then compressed again * Stretching and compression uses devices that ensure that the different color components of the pulse travel different distances * CPA is the technique used by most high-powered lasers in the world.

* Thomas invented the illusion transmitter , which uses two parabolic mirrors to transmit 3-D illusions of an object by use of a camera trained on the first mirror, which then sends video signals to a projector aimed at the second mirror. * She developed it for the purpose of sending three-dimensional images across a distance. * As of 2022, the technology is still used by NASA and is being adapted for use in surgery, as well as for televisions and video screens. * Thomas also developed the digital media formats image processing systems used in the early years of NASA's Landsat program.

filed the patent for the first progressive lens (patent granted 1923); her work with Edgar Tillyer at the American Optical Company (now part of Carl Zeiss Vision) improved the optics of eyeglasses, cameras, telescopes, and military optical instruments; worked as a geometric optician with Tillyer for nearly 10 years, doing the mathematical work to develop the Tillyer corrected curve lens but didn't receive credit for her work; developed a breakthrough camera lens; 1946 she published a paper on "Practical Methods of Computing Finite Throw Schmidt Systems;" did considerable mathematical research on the theory of iseikonic systems especially focused on investigating the theory of variable magnification systems without change in focal power and applied this theory to variable size lenses;

* Brown worked to develop the compound cilastatin sodium * This led to the creation of Primaxin, an antibiotic used to treat severe internal infections, diseases caused by flesh-eating bacteria, & some types of pneumonia * Spent 36 years in research before switching to a career as an educator * Has written 2 books profiling African-American women in chemistry.

* Crans specializes in the fundamental chemistry and biochemistry of drugs, with particular focus on vanadium * Research also in other transition metal ions as metals in medicine and their mechanisms of toxicity * Contributed to over 215 peer-reviewed articles.

* Bahr’s painting, ‘Homage to Martin Luther King’, depicts MLK giving his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech * Began exhibiting her art in the 1930s * First woman artist recognized by Maryland's Women's Hall of Fame * Sketched important events during the 20th century, including political trials, demonstrations & marches along with portraits of people * She was arrested at a big May Day anti-war demonstration at The Pentagon * Worked in multiple media & often incorporated natural elements like pebbles, shells & feathers in her work *Also did sketches, oil & watercolor paintings, lithographs, sculptures, book illustrations, collages & constructions of found materials * Opened a museum in Ellicott City MD called Humpty Dumpty Museum of Dolls & Toys

1811 discovered the first full skeleton of an Ichthyosaurus; 1823 discovered the first full Plesiosaurus skeleton; 1828 discovered the first Pterosaur skeleton outside of Germany; pioneered the study of Coprolites (poo); discovered Belemnite fossils contained fossillized ink sacs like those of modern cephalopods; 1829 discovered a Squaloraja fish skeleton;

Known for her work in palynology-the study of plant pollen & spores; used pollen data to study the vegetation history of the past 21,000 years; showed conclusively that temperate- and boreal-forest species migrated at different rates and in different directions while forming a changing mosaic of communities; introduced the method of studying pollen influx or pollen accumulation rates (number of pollen grains per square centimeter per year) in cores, which was an important advance for interpreting fossil pollen data in terms of changes in past vegetation and past sedimentation conditions; her work helped to develop the modern theoretical basis for predicting changes in forest composition in response to global warming;

opened Mission Working Dogs a non-profit in July 2020 in Oxford, Maine to provide service dogs to other Army vets; has written a few children's books; spearheaded the creation of an adaptive track and field program through Central Maine Adaptive Sports, a non-profit organization that offers adaptive sport opportunities like skiing, snowboarding, sled hockey, track and field and others; 2015 co-founded the New England Warriors sled hockey program, a sister program to the USA Warriors and is designed for the rehabilitation of ill and injured veterans;

* Prescod-Weinstein worked on “Physics: A Reconstruction of Observers" seeking to answer questions regarding how to re-frame who is an "observer" * Study of cultures existing outside of the European Enlightenment framework, and how that might change knowledge production in science * Also studies the origin & history of the Universe.

* Randall’s research postulates that there are more than 4 dimensions * Contributed to the Randall-Sundrum model with Raman Sundrum * Describes the world in terms of a warped-geometry higher-dimensional universe * works toward understanding & building models of the Standard Model of particle physics supersymmetry.

* Lawrence researched negative psychological effects of segregation on Black children * Developed pioneering programs in child psychotherapy in schools, day cares & clinics using play & artwork * Also researched the presence & development of ego strength in inner-city families * Lawrence is the first African-American female psychoanalyst in U.S. & first black female physician certified by the American Board of Pediatrics.

* Lucas was one of just nine women medical doctors in Washington, D.C. by the early 1920’s, specializing in pediatrics. * Her practice was considered lucrative at the time. * Having begun her career as a teacher, Lucas remained involved in various educational efforts, both medical and non-medical. * She lectured on hygiene at what was then the Maryland Normal and Industrial School at Bowie, now Bowie State University.

* Zacharias summarized and debunked various erroneous hypotheses about the potential causes of blindness in premature babies. * Her work helped lead to the identification of high oxygen levels in incubators as the primary factor by 1955. * This discovery was groundbreaking, revealing that the oxygen therapy used to support premature infants’ developing lungs at the same time disrupted blood vessel growth in the retina, leading to retinal detachment and blindness. * In 1956, her colleague Kinsey was awarded the Lasker Award, but Zacharias' name was omitted from the list of contributors.

* Ferguson created guidelines for diagnosing sickle cell anemia in children under 12 using a blood test. * The blood test she developed to detect the disease at birth became a standard test in forty U.S. states by 2010 and remains the standard in most states to this day. * Through experimentation, she determined that if infants drank a glass of water once a day before age five, the increased blood volume reduced their chances of having a sickle-cell crisis, a condition in which the flow of damaged red blood cells is impeded, causing painful clogging of blood vessels.

* Apgar noted that while infant mortality rate decreased, the number of infant deaths within the first 24 hours after birth remained constant. * As an obstetric anesthesiologist, Apgar was able to document trends that could distinguish healthy infants from infants in trouble. * This investigation led to a standardized scoring system used to assess a newborn's health after birth, with the result referred to as the newborn's "Apgar score". * By the 1960s, many hospitals in the United States were using the Apgar score consistently. In the 21st century, the score continues to be used to provide an accepted and convenient method for reporting the status of the newborn infant immediately after birth.

* Alexander's work aimed to advance research of infectious diseases and the biology of the microorganisms that cause meningitis in a time before antibiotics or vaccinations. * Her research focused primarily on the mechanisms and effects of meningitis in children which at the time had a high mortality rate. * By developing standardized techniques for diagnosis and treatment, she and her associate Grace Leidy helped reduce the mortality rate from Hib from nearly 100 percent to less than 25 percent. * Later, Alexander and Leidy studied the effect of antibiotics on Hib. The combined use of the antiserum, sulfa drugs, and antibiotics significantly lowered the mortality rate from Hib.

* Francis-McBarnett used antibiotics with her patients with sickle cell disease, with positive results. * Its effectiveness was not confirmed until fifteen years later in an article in The New England Journal of Medicine. * By 1970 her clinic had screened over 20,000 school children for the disease, placing those with the disease on antibiotics, which some continued to take throughout their lives.

* Denmark is credited as co-developer of the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine, with support from Eli Lilly and Company, and Emory University. * She was the world's oldest practicing pediatrician until her retirement in May 2001 at the age of 103, after 73 years.

Received 2 patents for cotton swabs & 1 for a washrag/soap holder

Pharmaceutical development of deuterium-enabled chiral switching & chirality in drugs; holds 31 patents

* At age 23, Ball developed a technique to make the chaulmoogra oil injectable and water-soluble. * Her technique involved isolating ester compounds from the fatty acids found in the oils and chemically modifying them, producing a substance that retained the oil's therapeutic properties and was absorbed by the body when injected. * Ball was unable to publish her revolutionary findings before her untimely death in 1916. * Arthur L. Dean, a chemist and Ball's graduate study advisor, dean of the college, and later president of the university, was privy to details of the process she developed. * After Ball's death, Dean undertook further trials and by 1919, a college chemistry laboratory was producing large quantities of the injectable chaulmoogra extract. * Dean published details of the work and the findings without acknowledging Ball as the originator or crediting her work.

* Corbett helped develop the Moderna COVID vaccine, working at NIAID under Dr. Anthony Fauci. * Her further research focuses on viral diseases including dengue, RSV, & MERS. * First African-American female to head an NIH vaccine development team.

* Dick and her husband successfully isolated hemolytic streptococcus "as the causative agent of scarlet fever." * They later developed the Dick test, a skin test which determined a person's susceptibility to the disease and produced "active immunization by larger doses of toxin and antitoxin for treatment, prevention, and diagnosis."

* Kelsey worked with E.M.K. Geiling to identify what in Elixir Sulfamilamide was killing people. * Resulted in changes to the 1906 Food & Drug Act & instrumental in the formulation of the 1938 Food Drug & Cosmetics Act. * As a reviewer for FDA, Kelsey refused in 1960 to authorize thalidomide for market because she had concerns about the lack of evidence regarding the drug's safety. * Looked for a synthetic quinine to cure malaria. * Learned some drugs could pass through the placental barrier.

* Rodopska played a pivotal role in developing the Bulgarian BCG vaccine against tuberculosis. * From 1951, intradermal BCG immunization became mandatory for all newborns in Bulgaria, making the country the first in Europe and second in the world after Japan to implement such a policy. * This led to a sharp decline in tuberculosis incidence, especially in children, and reduced mortality rates. * Bulgarian BCG vaccine was tested in WHO reference laboratories in Geneva, Canada, and the USA, and began distribution on three continents. * Her work influenced production and control methods in countries such as Japan, Austria, the USSR, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and others.

* Taussig heard about babies in Germany being born with undeveloped or missing limbs. * After traveling to Germany to learn more, she returned to the States to try to stop the pending approval of this drug by the FDA. * Thalidomide was banned in the United States and Europe in 1967.

* Meade-Tollin’s research includes screening desert plants and fungi for ingredients that could be used in cancer treatment drugs. * She isolates and tests metabolites from desert plants and microorganisms for anti-cancer properties. * At the University of Arizona, she developed a reproducible & physiologically relevant bioassay for angiogenic inhibitors & enhancers suitable for drug discovery screening.

* In 1971 Brodie joined her husband's lab as staff scientist, moving into breast cancer research. They were researching its link with estrogen and an enzyme that produces it, aromatase. * They developed several steroidal aromatase inhibitors, with Brodie focused on 4-OHA. * Following further clinical trials, 4-OHA, named Formestane, was the first aromatase inhibitor used on breast cancer patients and proved to be a significant improvement on tamoxifen, the standard cancer drug used to treat estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. * The drug was first marketed in 1994.

* Pinkham was the inventor and marketer of a herbal-alcoholic "women's tonic" for menstrual and menopausal problems, which medical experts dismissed as a quack remedy. * It is still on sale today in a modified form. * She further distributed information on menstruation and the "facts of life" and was considered to be a crusader for women's health issues in a day when women were poorly served by the medical establishment. * Pinkham and her "medicinal compound" for feminine disorders became the subject of a bawdy drinking song, "Lily the Pink", of which a sanitized version became a number one hit by The Scaffold in the United Kingdom.