Florence Rena Sabin

November 9, 1871 — October 3, 1953

Birthdate:1871(Nov 9)-1953 Birthplace: Maryland, Colorado Education: Vermont Academy, Smith College, John Hopkins Medical School Family ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺

Well-educated parents Lost her mother when she was 7 Only had sister as companion Home without many facilities such as plumbing and electricity age of twelve Florence was left in the home of her grandparents

Inspiration to be a Biologist College life ☺ Degree of Bachelor of Science ☺ encouraged by the college physician to study medicine at Johns Hopkins' new coeducational medical school. ☺ course in zoology provided the spark that kindled her interest in biological science

Work experience ☺ an assistant in zoology in the biology department at Smith College; ☺ Marine Biological Laboratories in Woods Hole Personal philosophy: ☺ Equal rights for women ☺ Trained women could be the equals of the best-trained men ☺ John Hopkins medical school as a step to get on an equal footing with men

In John Hopkins ☺ Dr.

Franklin P. Mall ☺ Mentor and intellectual role model ☺ encouraged her pursuit of "pure" (rather than applied) science ☺ Stated in the biography she wrote for him “Her start in research as a medical student and her opportunity for a career in scientific medicine she owes wholly to him.”

Research—Her Initial Work Constructed models from serial microscopic sections of the central nervous system of a newborn infant. Shortly after her graduation, she published her first work, An Atlas of the Medulla and Midbrain, an accurate work that has stood the test of time.

Research —Development of the Lymphatic System Demonstrated that the lymphatics arise from veins by the sprouting of endothelium

Research—Cell Staining Techniques Devised various techniques for the study of preparations of living cells and for methods of staining them with innocuous dyes

Research—Studies on Tuberculosis Showed that tissue changes associated with Tuberculosis were induced by various chemical substances within the bacterial cells Discovered that the phosphatide of the bacteria, and one of its fatty acid components, induced the maturation of monocytes

Research—Cellular Defenses against Diseases Studied the role of monocytes and other white blood cells in the defense mechanisms of the body against infections Made use of tracer antigens to study antibody formation in the body

Challenges In 1893, Florence Sabin wanted to study medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine but her family could not afford the fees.  To earn her medical school tuition, she taught mathematics at a Denver secondary school for two years, taught zoology at Smith College for a year and worked at Marine Biological Laboratories. She entered Johns Hopkins in 1896. Florence Sabin in 1893, the year she graduated from Smith College

Challenges In 1900, Sabin won a prestigious internship to study with William Osler, physician and medical historian, but she found the school's atmosphere very distracting and unsettling for women. Sabin moved away from clinical medicine to work on her research career.

Florence Sabin (seated, middle table) teaching anatomy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, early 1900s

Challenges University was still unwilling to hire a woman on the faculty.  Relied upon funding from a group supporting women researchers.  In 1917, when Mall died, Sabin seemed a natural choice to succeed him as department chair. Yet she was passed over in favor of one of her former students.  The faculty promoted her to full professor of histology instead, making her the first woman to hold that rank at the school of medicine.

Inspiring Issues  Sabin had a strong and burning belief

that both trained men and trained women should have equal rights in scientific research field  She did not have any inkling that she would become a scientist when she was still in college. She worked as a teacher to earn her own school fees for her medical degree in John Hopkins Medical School.  Her enormous enthusiasm and energy

Inspiring Issues The many “firsts”:  Sabin is the first woman to be a full professor

(Professor of Histology) in Johns Hopkins Medical School

 She is the first woman to be President of the

American Association of Anatomists.

 The only woman to be honoured when first to be

elected to the National Academy of Sciences

 And many more…

Resources http://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/physicians/biograp hy_283.html www.nap.edu/html/biomems/fasabin.html http://www.denvergov.org/AboutDenver/history_char_sabin.asp