Rosalyn Sussman Yallow

Prominent Women Biologists – Rosalyn Sussman Yalow A holistic approach

Rosalyn Sussman Yalow Born on July 19, 1921 in New York City

“Perhaps the earliest memories I have are of being a stub bo rn, det ermin ed child. Through the years my mother has told me that it was fortunate that I chose to do acceptable things, for if I had chosen otherwise no one could have deflected me from my path.” From Les Prix Nobel. The Nobel Prizes 1977, Editor Wilhelm Odelberg, [Nobel Foundation], Stockholm, 1978

Inspiration to become a scientist • Her sel f

– She was an early reader, reading even before kinde rgar ten – She had an aptitude for mathematics in hi gh sch oo l

• “By seventh grade I was committed to mathematics”

– In co lle ge, she felt that nuclear physics was the most exciting field in the world • “It seemed as if every major experiment brought a Nobel Prize”

Inspiration to become a scientist • Fa mily

– Pare nts : Both mother, née Clara Zipper and father, Simon Sussman, did not have high school education but encourag ed their two children to pursue education through college. – Bro ther: her older brother, Alexander would bring her to the Public Library every week to borrow books since they did not have any books at home

Inspiration to become a scientist • Tea cher s

– Mr. Mondz ak : A chemistry teacher at Walton High School excited her interest in chemistry – Pro fess ors He rb er t N . Oti s & Dua ne Roll er : Physics professors at Hunter College fuelled her interest in physics

Inspiration to become a scientist • Pub li ca tions – Eve Cur ie’s publication of the biography of her mother, Madame Marie Curie – an inspiration to any young aspiring female scientist – Enri co Fe rmi’s colloquium on the newly discovered nuclear fission – paved the way for medical investigation with the availability of radioisotopes

Challenges Faced • As a wo man , she faced prejudice, especially in a male dominant education system – She overcame great odds and discrimination by being the only woman among 400 men at the University of Illinois College of Engineering Physics Department (where she obtained her PhD) • Also, she faced discrimination as a Jew – Her application to do her masters at Purdue University was rejected because she was a Jewish woman

How She Overcame • Worked part- ti me as a secretary to Dr. Rudolf Schoenheimer, a leading biochemist at Columbia University as a means to enter graduate school • As the only women in her cohort at the University of Illinois, she had to work extremely hard to cast off gender stereotypes and discrimination received from colleagues as well as her professors.

Contri but ions to Scienc e RIA (Rad ioimmunoa ssay)  highly se nsiti ve in vitro method for the measurement of antigen levels in human blood  combines the spe ci fici ty of antibody-antigen binding with the

Contri bu ti ons to Scienc  High impact on scientific research:e – Making detailed measurements of previously undetectable quantities of hormones possible  able to detect as little as10pg of insulin per ml of body fluid – Overcome a 20 year stagnation of research in the area of immunology  Scientists previously restricted in the analysis of antigen-antibody reactions to those that produced visible pre ci pi ta tion or other evidence, such as the clumping of red blood cells

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Contri bu ti ons to Scienc e y and li mitless Sens iti vity , reli abi li ty, eco nom appl icab ili ty of the RIA technique sparked numerous innovations in biomedical research

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Now utilized for a variety of applications in basic and applied research including :  Assessment and tracking of metabolites  Determining effective dosage levels of drugs  Detection of foreign substances in blood  Testing the efficacy of immunotherapeutic procedures

Contri bu ti ons to Scienc e Gr ound bre ak ing R esearch in E ndo cr inolo gy  Elucidated the molecular mechanisms and pathogenesis of endocrine diseases associated with: • Ins uli n • ACTH • Gr owth ho rm one  These discoveries continuing to shape the field of biomedical science to this day!

Contri bu ti ons to Scienc e Sci enti fi c Int egr ity  Renamed her laboratory the Solomon Berman Laboratory after her partner after his death in 1972: – Enabled his contributions to the development of RIA to be commemorated  Decided not to pa tent RIA technology: – Enabled the technology to be made freely available to the scientific community – Prevent the infusion of commercial interests into medical research

An Ins pirat io n to al l Wo me n

"We must believe in our se lv es or no one else will believe in us ... we must feel a pe rso na l r espo ns ibi lit y to ease the path for those who come after us. The world cannot afford the loss of the talents of half its people if we are to solve the many problems that beset us."