Jane C Wright: The Godmother of Chemotherapy
As Black History Month comes to a close, Zedsen is putting the spotlight on surgeon and pioneering cancer researcher Dr Jane C Wright.
Dr Wright is renowned for her contributions to the field of chemotherapy and is credited with developing the technique of using human tissue culture rather than lab mice to test the effects of drugs on cancer cells; as well as pioneering the use of Methotrexate for treating breast and skin cancers. Methotrexate is on the World Health Organization’s ‘List of Essential Medicines. She brought chemotherapy into the world of tested and effective cancer treatments and can be said to have saved millions of lives through her efforts.
Born in Manhattan, New York in November 1919 into a family with an impressive history in medicine and a tendency towards breaking the glass ceilings that faced African Americans in the 19th and 20th Century, Jane graduated top of her class in 1945 from New York Medical School. She went on to be a Director of the Harlem Hospital Cancer Research Center (founded by her father); was the only woman among a group of seven physicians to found the American Society of Clinical Oncology; the head of the Cancer Chemotherapy department at NY Medical College and given a number of accolades and positions that are too numerous to list here (but well worth researching). Dr Jane C Wright passed away aged 93 in February of 2013.
This short piece cannot do true testament to her achievements or really stress the strength of her will and the compassion of her character, but we hope it may inspire you to read more about her and talk about her importance and her contributions to the treatment of cancer.
In recognition of Black History Month, we think it is important to honour amazing women and people of colour such as Dr Jane C Wright, who showed remarkable bravery and determination in pushing aside the obstacles associated with being an African American woman in a field traditionally dominated by white men and the contributions she made to the advancement of cancer treatment and the number of lives that have been saved and will continue to be saved by her contributions.
She dedicated her life to science and used her talents to improve the lives of others and serves not just as an inspiration to women or those of African heritage, but to us all. We look to her words as a perfect summation of the wonder of scientific pursuit:
"There's lots of fun in exploring the unknown. There's no greater thrill than in having an experiment turn out in such a way that you make a positive contribution."
Written by Kristian Poprawska-John, People Manager at Zedsen