MEDICAL MILESTONES

Daniel Hale Williams

Williams became the first cardiologist to successfully perform a repair of the pericardium – the sac around the heart – during an open-heart surgery in 1893.

Ernest Everett Just

Just conducted pioneering research in embryonic development and fertilisation. His groundbreaking work revealed the importance of the cell surface in cell development.

Percy Lavon Julian

Julian’s revolutionary work with plants led him to pioneer a process of synthesising drugs. In 1935 Julian was the first to synthesise physostigmine from Calabar beans to treat glaucoma.

Marie Maynard Daly

The first Africanamerican woman to be awarded a PHD in chemistry in the US, Daly made the discovery of the relationship between high cholesterol and clogged arteries.

Har Gobind Khorana

India-born Khorana became the first person to synthesise an artificial gene from a living cell. Cracking the genetic code, Khorana revealed the role of nucleotides in protein synthesis.