Gertrude B. Elion born January 23, 1918 was the daughter of immigrant parents from Lithuania. Her father became a dentist after moving to New York where she grew up. Gertrude had an amazing career starting at the very young age of 15 after her grandfather died of cancer. Gertrude wanted to help find a cure for cancer and her grandfather was her main motivation. Attending Hunter College, Gertrude graduate at the very young age of 19 with the highest of honors. While substitute teaching at a school in New York, Gertrude began working on her advanced degree at New York University graduating in 1941 and then took night classes at Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. Unfortunately Gertrude was unable to complete her PhD as a part-time student and made and critical decision to quit school never finishing her PhD. In the biochemist later years, she was awarded an honorary PhD from Polytechnic University from New York in 1989 and an honorary SD degree from Harvard in 1999.
Gertrude was an American biochemist and pharmacologist who wanted to make a difference in the world; the only way she
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Working in the pharmaceutical corporation today, I have had the privilege to see her work in the highlighting moments. Even though there has been many years of work past her and different development ideas, she impacted the medical works and even as a chemist, created drugs to help fight the terminal illnesses like cancer. Through this assignment, I really connected with Gertrude story being that we both have family history in Lithuania and both started careers in the pharmaceutical industry. I have felt connected thought this entire forum simply because I can relate to her life and what she had to endure to become successful in the drug world. Pharmaceutical is a growing industry with a lot of new advances coming in the future, her success has changed medicine forever and will continue to change as time goes