Gertrude Belle Elion

Gertrude Belle Elion (January 23, 1918 - February 21, 1999) was an American biochemist and pharmacologist known for developing groundbreaking drugs through an innovative approach based on rational drug design rather than traditional trial-and-error methods. Among her most notable contributions were treatments for leukemia, herpes (such as acyclovir), and immunosuppressive drugs crucial for organ transplants. She shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1988 with George H. Hitchings and James Black for their discoveries of key principles in drug therapy. Her work saved millions of lives and laid the foundation for modern pharmacology.

Quotes

• Don’t be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don’t let others discourage you or tell you that you can’t do it. In my day I was told women didn’t go into chemistry. I saw no reason why we couldn’t.
• People ask me often (was) the Nobel Prize the thing you were aiming for all your life? And I say that would be crazy. Nobody would aim for a Nobel Prize because, if you didn’t get it, your whole life would be wasted. What we were aiming at was getting people well, and the satisfaction of that is much greater than any prize you can get.
• I had no specific bent toward science until my grandfather died of stomach cancer. I decided that nobody should suffer that much.