An Expert on my Field

                                                                Gertrude Belle Elion

Gertrude Belle Elion was a biochemist and a pharmacist borned in New York on January 23rd, 1918.
When she was 15 years old, her grandfather died because of a cancer, that's why she felt interested in the area of science, especially in the research of new medicine.
She got a magister at the University of New York, but she couldn´t get her doctorate because it was very difficult for a woman to study in those years. But when the second world war started many men had to leave, this made it easier for women to access to the scientific field.
Gertrude discovered many important medicines, such as the azathioprine for organ transplants, the mercaptopurine for leukemia and the acyclovir for herpes, besides of helped in the creation of the first medicine against AIDS,the AZT.
That is the reason why she got the Novel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1988 for discovering "key facts about medication development and treatment". Years later she died by a brain hemorrhage in 1999.
When I heard about her history, I felt inspired because she was a woman who had many problems when she was studying and practicing his career because of the the extremely sexist society. Nowadays thinking in all the troubles that women had to get through before, made me feel inspired and gave me some motivation, that's why I like to learn more about women in science, I think that they desearve more recognition in these days.

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