Black Womxn HERstory Makers Series: Then and Now - Science
Happy #BlackHERstoryMonth! All month we're sharing match-ups of Black womxn changemakers, starting with two who have made history in the field of science. Dr. Ruth Ella Moore was the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D in a natural science and Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett will go down in history as a key player in developing the vaccine for COVID-19. Here’s a little more about each of them.
Dr. Ruth Ella Moore (1903-1994) was the first African-American woman in the U.S. to earn a Ph.D in the natural sciences. Her doctoral dissertation at Ohio State was on the bacteriology of tuberculosis. From the early 1900s to the end of WWII, bacteriology was the foundational science of public health research and practice. Moore was also the first woman to head any department at esteemed Historical Black University, Howard University. Her career involved significant contributions in the study of blood types, immunology, tooth decay, and the reaction of specific pathogens to different classes of antibiotics.
As a leader in public health, Moore became the first African-American to join the American Society for Microbiology. Her life didn’t totally revolve around the sciences - Moore was also a talented seamstress. Several of her pieces were featured in The Sewer’s Art: Quality, Fashion and Economy. Dr. Ruth Ella Moore paved the way for Black scientists, just like our next changemaker - Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett.
The coronavirus has killed almost 500,000 people and infected over 15 million people in the U.S. Scientists have been relentlessly experimenting, developing, and testing potential solutions to this evolving problem. Recently, vaccines have been distributed and we have one Black woman to thank: Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett. Her proper title is the scientific lead for the Coronavirus Vaccines & Immunopathogenesis Team at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Vaccine Research Center (VRC). She earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Biological Sciences and Sociology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County 13 years ago. Since then, she has moved on to earn her Ph.D in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her 15 year career consists of studying dengue virus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus, and coronaviruses. These studies boast an impressive portfolio featuring universal coronavirus concepts, therapeutic antibodies, and a universal influenza vaccine.
Refusing to be a “hidden figure”, Dr. Corbett will go down in history as one of the leading scientists to end this current pandemic. She has been publicly recognized by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert as a leader in the race to vaccine development. Her story and work is inspiring and will influence young scientists and people of color for decades to come.