NHLBI Celebrates Women Scientists

In honor of Women’s History Month, the NHLBI will celebrate the accomplishments of women biomedical scientists who have played and are playing key roles in fighting heart, lung, blood, and sleep-related disorders. Check back throughout the month for additions to this impressive list.
Headshot of Gina Wei, M.D., M.P.H.
When Gina Wei, M.D., M.P.H., moved from Taiwan to Los Angeles when she was just 10 years old, she could neither speak nor write English. “I looked different and...
Patrice Desvigne-Nickens, M.D.
Growing up, Patrice Desvigne-Nickens, M.D., always thought she’d be a doctor. “From an early age, that idea of helping others over yourself was something that...
headshot of Candice Price, Ph.D.
Ask Candice Price, Ph.D., about the reason for her life’s work, and she tells a story about seeing first-hand how health disparities can impact the medical care...
headshot of rachel gross
Rachel S. Gross, M.D., M.S., a pediatrician and clinical research investigator, has spent much of her career studying early child obesity, especially in...
Dr. Valerie Flaherman
Credit: UCSF
When Valerie J. Flaherman, M.D., M.P.H., first started conducting research after medical school, she worked with a mentor who needed help studying breastfeeding...
headshot of melissa stockwell
Melissa Stockwell, M.D., M.P.H., wears a lot of different hats. She’s a doctor, researcher, educator, and chief of the division of child and adolescent health...
headshot of andrea foulkes
As a child Andrea S. Foulkes, Sc.D., solved math problems. “I did math at the dinner table,” she explained. “I came from a family of mathematicians.” Foulkes...
Torri D. Metz, M.D.
For Torri D. Metz, M.D., an obstetrician and maternal-fetal medicine specialist, conducting research is a way to help patients. The work really suits her, too....
Jessica N. Snowden M.D.
When Jessica N. Snowden, M.D., was in medical school, she was fascinated by tickborne illnesses like murine typhus, which is transmitted by sandfleas. So, it’s...
Claudia Kemper, Ph.D.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, changed the course of science for many researchers, including Claudia Kemper, Ph.D., the chief of the complement and...
headshot of marion webster
Marion Webster, Ph.D., (1921 – 1985) was a pioneering biochemist at the NHLBI and was among the first wave of women scientists at the National Institutes of...