IDA S. OWENS, Chief, section on genetic disorders of drug metabolism, human genetics branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health
At the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Ida S. Owens researches the drug-metabolizing enzymes in the human body. In 1989, her team characterized and cloned the most important of these enzymes, which is essential for the elimination of bilirubin.
This breakthrough may lead to gene therapy for children suffering from Crigler-Najjar Type 1, a genetic-based disorder of this enzyme that causes bilirubin buildup in the blood, often resulting in neurotoxic seizures. Until now, liver transplant surgery has been the only successful treatment for this lethal disease.
In addition to her groundbreaking research, Owens is a pioneer in another sense. In 1967, she was the first African American woman to earn a doctoral degree at Duke University.
Why does she read THE ...
