Gertrude Belle Elion
Personal Information
Born: 1918
Died: 1999
Country of Birth: USA
Nationality: USA
Ethnicity: White
Education
Hunter College BS Chemistry 1937; New York University MS Chemistry 1941
Professional Life
Field of Study: Biochemistry; Pharmacology
Institution/Corporation: Burroughs Wellcome (now GlaxoSmithKline); Duke University; National Cancer Institute
Degrees & Memberships: Honorary Degrees: NYU Tandon School of Engineering ( 1989), Harvard University (1998), George Washington University, Brown University, University of Michigan; Member: Phi Beta Kappa, National Academy of Sciences (1990), Institute of Medicine (1991), Fellow American Academy of Arts & Sciences (1991), American Chemical Society, Transplantation Society,Royal Society of Chemists, American Society of Biological Chemists, American Society of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapuetics, American Association for Cancer Research, American Society of Hematology, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, Fellow NY Academy of Sciences, Foreign Member The Royal Society (ForMemRS, 1995)
Awards & Achievements
Awards: 1968, Garvan-Olin Prize; 1988, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (with George H. Hitchings & Sir James Black); 1991, National Medal of Science; 1997, Lemelson-MIT Lifetime Achievement Award; 1991, National Inventors Hall of Fame; 1983, Sloan-Kettering Institute Judd Award; 1985, American Chemical Society Distinguished Chemist Award; 1989, Golden Plate Award, American Academy of Achievement; 1985, American Association for Cancer Research Cain Award; 1990, American Cancer Society Medal of Honor; 1991, National Women s Hall of Fame; 1992, Engineering & Science Hall of Fame;
Achievements: Her method focused on understanding the target of the drug, not just trial-and-error; her research led to the creation of anti-retroviral drug ATZ for AIDS, the development of the first immunosuppressant drug, azathioprine, to fight rejection in organ transplants, the first successful antiviral drug acyclovir (ACV) used to treat herpes infections, anti-leukemia drugs; in 1950, developed anti-cancer drugs tioguanine & Mereaptopurine after synthsizing anti-metabolites of purines; research also led to the development of Allopurinol (treatment for gout), Pyrimethamine (treatment of malaria), Trimethoprim (treatment of meningitis, sepsis, & bacterial infections of urinary & respiratory tracts), Nelarabine (treatment of cancer); 1st woman inducted into National Inventors Hall of Fame
1988 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with George H. Hitchings & Sir James Black
1st female inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
Her work in understanding the target of a drug instead of using trial-and-error led to the development of numerous new drugs
Her family lost everything in the 1929 Wall Street Crash
Her grandfather died of cancer when she was 15 & his death inspired her to pursue a career in science & medicine
Initially unable to find a job in a science field, she worked as a secretary, food quality supervisor at an A&P market, & as a high school teacher
Held 96 patents