Ida owens birthday

Ida Stephens Owens

American scientist (–)

Ida Stephens Owens (September 13, – Feb 24, ) was an Denizen scientist known for her enquiry with drug-detoxifying enzymes. She commonplace her Ph.D from Duke Formation in , making her of a nature of the first two Continent Americans to receive a degree from the school. She dead beat her career at the Public Institutes of Health (NIH), wheel she worked from to turf pioneered the study of probity genetics of human diseases topmost drug metabolism.[3][4]

Early life

Ida Virginia Stephens Owens grew up on top-notch farm in the small vicinity of Whiteville, North Carolina.[5] Coffee break mother died when she was six years old.[5]

Education

Owens' early tutelage was in segregated public schools.[5] Owens then attended North Carolina College, now North Carolina Decisive University, graduating in summa cum laude in Biology (B.S.) move Mathematics (minor).[3][6] After graduating, she was employed as a workplace assistant at a National Body of laws Foundation Summer Institute for Elevated School Teachers at North Carolina College, and she spent adroit summer in the lab comprehend Daniel C. Tosteson in loftiness Department of Physiology at Baron University.[7][8] Then, in , she began her Ph.D. studies worm your way in biochemistry and physiology in prestige laboratory Jacob J. Blum sharpen up Duke shortly after the institute racially integrated its graduate status professional schools.[3][7] When she progressive in , she became way of being of two first African Americans, the first woman, to get a Ph.D. from Duke Institution and the first woman extremity receive any degree in physiology from Duke.[3][8]

Scientific career

After graduating, Jock held a postdoctoral position activity the NIH, first at illustriousness then-called National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolic, and Digestive Diseases rerouteing the Laboratory of Biochemistry settle down Metabolism and then in grandeur National Institute of Child Poor health and Human Development (NICHD) hem in the Section on Developmental Medicine in the Laboratory of Biomedical Sciences.[4] During this time, she focused on how drugs come upon chemically processed in the body.[9] In , Owens began show lead her own independent check group at NIH NICHD entrails the Section on Drug Biotransformation, which later became the Cut on Genetic Disorders of Medication Metabolism.[4] She was the good cheer African American investigator at NIH.[10] Starting in , Owens has directed NICHD's Section on Tribal Disorders of Drug Metabolism diminution the Program on Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics.[3][9]

Scientific advancements

Owens' postdoctoral operate sparked her specific interest flowerbed a critical group of enzymes, called UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (abbreviated UGTs), which allow the body to detox harmful drugs, chemicals, and ruin toxins.[3][4] By designing methods tackle research the genes that edict for specific UGT enzymes, she identified a complex of 13 genes known as UGT1A.[4] Coffee break lab showed that one appreciate these genes, UGT1A1, processes class protein bilirubin, which is put in order breakdown product of hemoglobin.[4]

Owens' enquiry group has subsequently made different advancements regarding UGT enzyme accumulation. Her laboratory was the have control over to identify a genetic speck in the gene UGT1A1 ditch leads to Crigler–Najjar syndrome.[4] Crigler–Najjar syndrome is a disorder give it some thought disrupts normal modification and payment of bilirubin, leading to jaundice.[3] Owens' research group also persistent that UGT enzymes must emerging activated before they can detox foreign chemicals and that bonding agent some cases suppressing these enzymes could enhance the effects stand for therapeutic drugs.[11] Owens' laboratory inaugurate that activity of UGT enzymes can be lessened by kinase inhibitors and that protein kinase C and tyrosine kinase enzymes can alter the enzyme specificity, likely contributing to their sureness to detoxify a wide compass of foreign chemicals.[9]

Honors

Owens received magnanimity NIH Director's Award and, hem in , the Duke University High School's first Distinguished Alumni Award.[3] In addition, in , righteousness American Asthma Foundation recognized Jock for being among the honour 5% of cited authors turn a profit pharmacology journals.[3]

References

  1. ^Snowden Funeral Home: Dr. Ida S. Owens
  2. ^In Memoriam: Ida Stephens Owens,
  3. ^ abcdefghi"Ida Stephens Owens Named First Recipient a number of The Graduate School Distinguished Alumni Award". Duke Graduate School. Retrieved
  4. ^ abcdefg"Item of Interest: Ida Owens, Longtime NICHD Scientist Dies". National Institute of Child Virus and Human Development. 5 Strut Retrieved
  5. ^ abcWeiss, Ivan (Director) (). The Education of Ida Owens: Science, Civil Rights, pointer the Integration of Duke University. Durham, N.C.
  6. ^"Duke Alumni Women's Weekend "(PDF). Retrieved
  7. ^ ab"Graduate College Honors Owens with Documentary estimated Her Experience | Duke Grade School". . Retrieved
  8. ^ ab"Mrs. I. Stephens Owens to Settle your differences Ph.D. Degree from Duke Univ". The Carolina Times. Durham. N.C. Retrieved
  9. ^ abc"NICHD Staff Naked truth for Ida Owens". National Society of Child Health & Human being Development. Retrieved
  10. ^"Board of Exact Counselors Minutes, December 1, "(PDF). Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Faculty of Child Health and Oneself Development Division of Intramural Research. Retrieved
  11. ^Carey, Charles W. Jr. (). African Americans in Science: An Encyclopedia of People nearby Progress. Vol.&#;1. ABC-CLIO. ISBN&#;.

External links