9 African American Innovators and Thought Leaders in Medical Discovery That You Ought to Know
The freedom to choose is powerful. Despite intentional efforts to eliminate choice regarding their health and health care, African Americans have found ways to contribute to medical discovery and science that have benefited many. Let’s explore the important contributions of 9 African American innovators and thought leaders who have been at the forefront of science and public health practice.
Innovators in Medical Discovery
Immunology, hematology, cardiology, biochemistry, and ophthalmology are a few of the science fields influenced by the contributions and innovations of African Americans. As far back as the early 1700s, Onesimus, a man of West African descent suggested to Cotton Mather, a Boston minister who enslaved him, that transferring pus from an infected person into a cut on a healthy person would cause the healthy person to develop antibodies against smallpox. Mather did not believe Onesimus but was fascinated by the idea. Eventually, he was so intrigued that he tried it out. Turns out Onesimus was right! This technique is known as variolation and is significant to our understanding of immunology.
Through the 1800s, African Americans resisted laws, practices, and perceptions about their humanity. Against this backdrop, in 1893, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed the first successful open-heart surgery to repair the thin sac that protects the heart. His patient, Mr. James Cornish, experienced an inch-long gash in his pericardium after being stabbed in the heart. Dr. Williams repaired his heart without the use of x-rays, antibiotics, or sufficient anesthesia. The surgery took place in Chicago, Illinois, at the hospital he founded. He established the Provident Hospital of Cook County. His patient, Mr. Cornish, survived the surgery and lived for 20 more years.
Between 1938–1940, Dr. Charles Drew, an African American physician, and researcher discovered a way to process and preserve blood plasma. Blood plasma contains ingredients to help the body form clots. It is typically given to trauma patients and used to treat bleeding disorders. During WWII, he headed up the campaign “Blood for Britain” to raise awareness and treat casualties of war. He eventually went on to develop a blood bank for the U.S. military. His work continues to be the backbone of modern-day plasma banks. Today, researchers are testing plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies and using the plasma to help treat patients with COVID.
In 1966, Biochemist Dr. Emmett Chappelle created a laboratory tool using enzymes from fireflies to detect the presence of life in the soil from other planets. His innovative methods laid the groundwork to develop current laboratory tests to detect cancer in mice. Dr. Chappelle has developed and held over 14 patents for fluorescent tests that have been used in various fields, from assessing farm crop stress to detecting bacterial infections in blood and urine. In 2007, Dr. Chappell was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his work in Bioluminescence Techniques.
Dr. Patricia Bath invented the laserphaco probe. The laserphaco probe is a device that removes cataracts and is used worldwide to restore sight to those who are blind due to cataracts. She developed the laserphaco probe to address access to eye care after observing black patients were more likely to be visually impaired or blind as compared to white patients in outpatient clinics. In 1988, Dr. Bath received a medical patent for the laserphaco device. She is also the co-founder of the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness.
More recently, Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett became one of the leading scientists credited with developing the Moderna vaccine to curb the transmission of the novel coronavirus, SARS-COV2, that caused the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Corbett is slated to lead the new CoreID Lab at Harvard University to study the relationship between a host’s immune system and viruses that cause respiratory disease.
Thought Leaders and Caring for the Nation’s Health
Traditionally, African American physicians have safeguarded the health of individuals in their communities through sage practice and guidance, much like the function of the Office of the Surgeon General. The Surgeon General serves as Vice-Admiral to the U.S. Public Health Service Commission Corps. The Surgeon General is nominated by the President of the United States and serves for a 4-year term. The Surgeon General uses the best scientific information available to improve health and reduce the risk of illness and injury to the population. To date, 20% of the Surgeon Generals have been African American. Some notable Surgeon Generals include:
Dr. Joycelyn Elders was appointed as US Surgeon General in 1993 and was the first African American to serve in this position. She was a strong advocate for universal health care, health care reform, and comprehensive health education. Dr. Elders was a controversial figure regarding her remarks on sex education that lead to a shortened tenure as Surgeon General. In 2014, the University of Minnesota created the prestigious Joycelyn Elders Chair in Sexual Health Education in her honor to develop “a comprehensive life-long sexual education curricula, to increase the number of health care providers trained in sexual health care, and to expand scientific research in sexuality education.”
Five years after Dr. Elder’s tenure, Dr. David Satcher was appointed the 16th Surgeon General of the United States. As Surgeon General, he drew attention to the impact of tobacco use on young people and racial and ethnic communities. He also advocated for suicide prevention and sought to eliminate health care disparities. Following his tenure, Dr. Satcher returned to the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) in Atlanta, Georgia where he founded and advises the Satcher Health Institute and The Kennedy Satcher Center for Mental Health Equity. Through his work, Dr. Satcher continues to promote health equity in mental health and the elimination of health disparities.
In 2009, Dr. Regina Benjamin was appointed as the 18th Surgeon General. Her appointment highlighted the need to increase access to health care for rural and low-income communities. She championed healthy living for racial and ethnic communities and is responsible for producing “The Surgeon General’s Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation” — a report that highlighted population trends in overweight and obesity in the US and offered guidance to improve community health. Dr. Benjamin is currently the founder and CEO of Gulf States Health Policy Center.
Despite the sequence of events that have led to African Americans’ distrust of clinical trials and history of medical research abuses, African Americans continue to influence scientific discovery, create medical innovations and provide valuable guidance to shape the Nation’s health.
ResearchMatch is supported by a collaboration between leading research institutions including Vanderbilt University Medical Center to help educate and empower people to take part in clinical trials and research studies. This includes understanding how their participation makes a difference and contributes to scientific discoveries. Interested in joining ResearchMatch? Click here to sign-up as a volunteer and be “matched” with research studies that are of interest to you! Like, follow, and share ResearchMatch on Facebook.
