Groundbreaking Women Scientists of the 20th and 21st Centuries
March is Women's History Month. CEMHD commemorates and encourages the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in science in American history.
The 20th and 21st centuries have been transformative eras for science and technology. As the world advanced, women scientists began to break barriers, making monumental contributions across various fields, from physics and chemistry to medicine and environmental science.
This article highlights some of the most groundbreaking women scientists whose work continues to influence modern science.
Despite facing systemic obstacles, these women persevered — reshaping scientific understanding and paving the way for future generations. Today, their legacies continue to inspire young scientists around the world, reminding us that brilliance knows no gender.
Marie Curie was a Polish-French physicist and chemist best known for her work on radioactivity. She was the first person to win Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields: Physics (1903, shared with Pierre Curie and Henri Becquerel) and Chemistry (1911). Her discovery of radium and polonium paved the way for advancements in medical treatments and nuclear energy.
An Austrian-Swedish physicist, Lise Meitner played a pivotal role in the discovery of nuclear fission, a breakthrough that eventually led to the development of nuclear energy and atomic weapons. Despite her contributions, Meitner was often overshadowed by her male colleagues, particularly Otto Hahn, who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their joint work.
An American scientist, Barbara McClintock revolutionized the field of genetics through her discovery of "jumping genes" or transposable elements. Her innovative research in maize genetics earned her the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1983, making her one of the few women to receive an unshared Nobel Prize.
Dorothy Hodgkin, a British chemist, advanced the field of X-ray crystallography, uncovering the molecular structures of essential biochemical substances, including insulin, vitamin B12 and penicillin. She won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964 and remains a role model for women pursuing careers in structural biology.
An American marine biologist and conservationist, Rachel Carson is best known for her book Silent Spring (1962), which brought attention to the environmental impact of pesticides, particularly DDT. Her work inspired the modern environmental movement and led to policy changes aimed at protecting the natural world.
Rosalind Franklin was an English chemist whose X-ray diffraction images of DNA were critical to the discovery of the DNA double helix structure. Although her contributions were not fully recognized during her lifetime, her legacy continues to be acknowledged as essential to the field of molecular biology.
Chien-Shiung Wu, a Chinese-American experimental physicist, conducted groundbreaking research in beta decay and disproved the principle of conservation of parity. Despite her essential contributions, she was overlooked when her male colleagues received the Nobel Prize for related work. Her impact on physics, however, remains undeniable.
Frances “Fran” Allen, a 1954 graduate from UAlbany, was a trailblazing computer scientist whose ingenuity and determination left a lasting mark on the field. Her achievements include seminal work in compilers, program optimization, and parallelization.
She became the first woman to receive the Turing Award for her groundbreaking work in high- performance computing and the first woman to be named an IBM Fellow. Her work accelerated the development of programs capable of using multiple processors simultaneously for faster processing.
Additionally, her contributions played a pivotal role in advancing high-performance computing applications in weather forecasting, DNA analysis, and national security.
Jane Goodall is a British primatologist and anthropologist who revolutionized the study of primates through her detailed observations of wild chimpanzees in Tanzania. Her work challenged established perceptions of animal behavior and intelligence, highlighting the similarities between humans and chimpanzees. Goodall’s advocacy for animal conservation and welfare continues to inspire generations of scientists.
Gladys West is an American mathematician whose pioneering work in mathematical modeling of the shape of the Earth and satellite geodesy significantly contributed to the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS). Her calculations laid the groundwork for technology now essential to navigation worldwide.
Jennifer Doudna is an American biochemist who co-developed the revolutionary CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology, providing a powerful tool for precise genetic modifications. She shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020 with Emmanuelle Charpentier, becoming one of the most influential figures in modern biotechnology.
Flossie Wong-Staal was a Chinese-American virologist who made groundbreaking discoveries in HIV/AIDS research. As the first scientist to clone HIV and map its genes, her work was instrumental in developing blood tests for the virus and advancing the understanding of its mechanisms.
Tu Youyou is a Chinese pharmaceutical chemist and malariologist who discovered artemisinin and dihydroartemisinin, revolutionary antimalarial treatments that have saved millions of lives. She received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015, becoming the first Chinese woman to win a Nobel Prize in science.
Emmanuelle Charpentier, a French microbiologist, co-developed the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology along with Jennifer Doudna. Their discovery has transformed genetic engineering, making precise gene editing faster, cheaper and more accessible to researchers worldwide.
Katie Bouman is an American computer scientist whose algorithm development was crucial to the first imaging of a black hole in 2019. Her work in computational imaging and signal processing continues to push the boundaries of astronomical research.