261:, where she spent her entire professional career. Here, Alexander slowly made her way up the professional hierarchy, starting as the Holt Fellow in Diseases of Children in 1932, Assistant in Diseases of Children in 1934, and Instructor in Diseases of Children in 1935. From 1936 to 1943, Alexander was the associate in pediatrics before continuing to work her way up the professional chain by becoming assistant professor in 1943, associate professor in 1948, and finally professor from 1958. She retired in 1966. While at the Columbia-Presbyterian Babies Hospital, Alexander became the main authority on bacterial infections and the lead microbiologist in the laboratory. From 1941 to 1945, she served as a consultant to Secretary of War
42:
306:
205:, on April 5, 1901, the second of seven children. Her birth was not registered properly, thus later on in her life she had to provide proof of her baptism in order to receive a passport. Alexander distinguished herself throughout school, so much so that her high school English teacher obtained a full scholarship for her at
297:
in a time before antibiotics or vaccinations. Her research focused primarily on the mechanisms and effects of meningitis in children which at the time had a high mortality rate. Alexander started her studies by trying to identify the prognostic and diagnostic strategies of meningitis. She was able to
182:
in New York City. Alexander became the lead microbiologist and the head of the bacterial infections program at
Columbia-Presbyterian. She occupied many prestigious positions at Columbia University and was well honored even after her death from liver cancer in 1968. Alexander is known for her
217:. One of the first jobs Alexander had after she graduated was in the National Laboratory in Washington, D.C., as a bacteriologist. Here she met and impressed the director of the laboratory, Septima Smith, who helped to financially support Alexander in medical school. She worked for the
331:(Hib) meningitis, at the time an almost invariably fatal disease in infants and young children. She started experimenting with rabbit serum and in 1939 she referenced in one of her research papers that the results looked promising for children. Alexander later experimented with
335:
and its effects on pyogenic meningitis. She concluded that sulfonamides are insufficient in treating meningitis alone, and those who were treated with sulfonamides and recovered only did due to the antibodies that they produced. These experiments led her to develop an improved
193:. She has received many awards and honors including the E. Mead Johnson Award in 1942, for her headway in pediatric research and antibiotic resistance. Alexander's research and studies helped lay the ground work for research into antibiotic and vaccine development.
347:
By developing standardized techniques for diagnosis and treatment, she and her associate Grace Leidy helped reduce the mortality rate from Hib from nearly 100 percent to less than 25 percent. Later, Alexander and Leidy studied the effect of
395:. She was the first woman to be elected to this position. Even after her death, Hattie Alexander was honored for her service and accomplishments. Alexander received two honorary degrees: one from
359:
In the course of her research on antibiotics, Alexander noted and reported the appearance of antibiotic-resistant strains of Hib. She concluded, correctly, that this was caused by random genetic
229:
medical school, where she received her M.D. in 1930 with a focus on pediatrics. Alexander's mentor during medical school was Dr. Edwards Park. Another professor at Johns
Hopkins,
1045:
391:(1956), and the Oscar B. Hunter Memorial Award (1962). In 1963, she was awarded Babies Hospital Distinguished Service Medal, and in 1964, she was elected president of the
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to be highly effective. The combined use of the antiserum, sulfa drugs, and antibiotics significantly lowered the mortality rate from Hib.
218:
1040:
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265:
on the
Influenza Commission. Alexander was the first woman to serve as president of the American Pediatric Society. Alexander died of
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866:
302:. Hattie noted that those with a positive precipitin test result had a higher rate of mortality than those with a negative result.
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Alexander's work aimed to advance research of infectious diseases and the biology of the microorganisms that cause
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695:"Overlooked medical history: Women from Baltimore who saved children from a 'death sentence' | COMMENTARY"
327:
318:
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Public Health
Service, and was initially enrolled at the University of Maryland before she transferred to
185:
112:
384:
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127:
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successfully identify in one of her early studies the prognostic ability of cerebrospinal fluid in
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In 1932, Alexander became an instructor and researcher in the
Department of Pediatrics at
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206:
87:
17:
861:
233:, helped develop her interest in pediatrics. She completed her internship at Baltimore's
436:
789:
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249:, due to an invitation from Dr. McIntosh, where she stayed for the rest of her career.
209:. Alexander graduated from Goucher College in 1923 with a bachelor's of arts degree in
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969:
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76:
285:, which recognized her for producing the first treatment for influenzal meningitis.
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924:. Vol. 1. Waterford, CT: Yorkin Publications, Gale Group. pp. 201–202.
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Home located at Johns
Hopkins Hospital. Alexander was afterwards a resident at
344:. This combination became the lead treatment of meningitis until antibiotics.
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infection, as well as being one of the first scientists to identify and study
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527:
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Alexander received numerous honors and awards for her work, including the
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360:
222:
892:
Alexander, Hattie
Elizabeth (1901–1968), microbiologist and pediatrician
317:
In the wake of the development of an anti-pneumonia serum at New York's
313:
type b bacteria which causes meningitis in many infants and children.
419:
Alexander, HE; Leidy, G (1946), "Influence of
Streptomycin on Type b
553:"Hattie Elizabeth Alexander | American physician and microbiologist"
466:"Hattie Elizabeth Alexander | American physician and microbiologist"
321:, Alexander reported a cure rate for infants of 75% with influenzal
941:
Notable women in the life sciences : a biographical dictionary
340:
for the disease; by combining rabbit serum therapy with the use of
304:
918:
Haag, John (1999). "Alexander, Hattie". In
Commire, Anne (ed.).
872:
New York Times obituary, June 25, 1968 (subscription required)
364:
626:"Hattie Alexander papers | Archives and Special Collections"
577:"Changing the Face of Medicine | Hattie Elizabeth Alexander"
818:
Katz, Michael (1996). "Hattie E. Alexander (1901-1968)".
506:
Katz, Michael (1996). "Hattie E. Alexander (1901-1968)".
325:
in 1939. In the early 1940s, Alexander began researching
178:
in 1930 and continued her research and medical career at
943:(1. publ. ed.). Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press.
651:"Biography: Hattie Alexander, MD: Pioneer researcher"
790:"Symposium on Tuberculosis in Infancy and Childhood"
921:
Women in World
History: A biographical encyclopedia
601:"Hattie Alexander, a Medical Woman Pioneer at CUMC"
143:
123:
107:
83:
65:
51:
32:
273:on June 24, 1968. Her obituary was published in
183:development of the first effective remedies for
166:(April 5, 1901 – June 24, 1968) was an American
371:; she and Leidy demonstrated the occurrence of
8:
1046:Presidents of the American Pediatric Society
375:in the Hib bacillus, leading to resistance.
40:
29:
901:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1200011
655:Seminars in Pediatric Infectious Diseases
431:(2692) (published Aug 2, 1946): 101–102,
27:American pediatrician and microbiologist
986:Johns Hopkins School of Medicine alumni
877:Columbia University: Faculty Remembered
411:
367:which were positively selected through
1031:20th-century American women scientists
1026:20th-century American women physicians
630:www.library-archives.cumc.columbia.edu
1051:20th-century American women academics
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239:Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center
742:Alexander, Hattie E. (1946-08-01).
219:United States Public Health Service
719:"Notable People | Goucher College"
25:
1021:20th-century American physicians
1056:20th-century American academics
895:. American National Biography.
1011:American women microbiologists
180:Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital
1:
939:Shearer, Benjamin F. (1996).
832:10.1016/S0022-3476(96)80148-X
760:10.1016/S0022-3476(46)80107-0
520:10.1016/S0022-3476(96)80148-X
1001:American women pediatricians
744:"Streptomycin in pediatrics"
649:Ligon, B. Lee (2000-04-01).
445:10.1126/science.104.2692.101
991:Columbia University faculty
889:Aydelotte, Allison (2000).
858:, vol. 1, pp. 270–271.
856:American National Biography
174:. She earned her M.D. from
1072:
393:American Pediatric Society
164:Hattie Elizabeth Alexander
18:Hattie Elizabeth Alexander
1041:Scientists from Baltimore
1036:Physicians from Baltimore
820:The Journal of Pediatrics
748:The Journal of Pediatrics
508:The Journal of Pediatrics
389:Elizabeth Blackwell Award
157:
136:
39:
1006:American microbiologists
227:Johns Hopkins University
197:Early life and education
176:Johns Hopkins University
97:Johns Hopkins University
557:Encyclopedia Britannica
470:Encyclopedia Britannica
1016:Goucher College alumni
996:American pediatricians
581:cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov
421:Haemophilus influenzae
328:Haemophilus influenzae
314:
311:Haemophilus influenzae
201:Alexander was born in
186:Haemophilus influenzae
113:Haemophilus influenzae
867:Biography.com profile
385:E. Mead Johnson Award
319:Rockefeller Institute
308:
191:antibiotic resistance
128:E. Mead Johnson Award
118:antibiotic resistance
667:10.1053/pi.2000.7104
605:HSL Library Archives
826:(5 Pt 1): 717–718.
514:(5 Pt 1): 717–718.
437:1946Sci...104..101A
259:Columbia University
203:Baltimore, Maryland
59:Baltimore, Maryland
34:Hattie E. Alexander
315:
276:The New York Times
46:Alexander, c. 1960
910:978-0-19-860669-7
379:Awards and honors
282:The Baltimore Sun
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138:Scientific career
132:
16:(Redirected from
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263:Henry L. Stimson
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397:Goucher College
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243:Babies Hospital
231:Rustin McIntosh
207:Goucher College
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88:Goucher College
84:Alma mater
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387:(1942), the
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354:streptomycin
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333:sulfonamides
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267:liver cancer
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235:Harriet Lane
211:bacteriology
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168:pediatrician
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152:microbiology
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71:(1968-06-24)
981:1968 deaths
976:1901 births
350:antibiotics
342:sulfa drugs
309:Culture of
970:Categories
931:0787640808
803:1 February
728:2021-02-02
704:2021-12-03
635:2021-02-02
611:2021-11-07
586:2020-02-26
562:2021-02-02
475:2021-02-02
407:References
323:meningitis
295:meningitis
215:physiology
148:Pediatrics
959:832549823
768:0022-3476
675:1045-1870
403:.
369:evolution
361:mutations
338:antiserum
776:20994710
453:17790172
289:Research
223:Maryland
221:and the
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840:8627451
528:8627451
433:Bibcode
425:Science
957:
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144:Fields
131:(1943)
124:Awards
793:(PDF)
955:OCLC
945:ISBN
926:ISBN
905:ISBN
836:PMID
805:2021
772:PMID
764:ISSN
671:ISSN
524:PMID
449:PMID
279:and
213:and
170:and
150:and
66:Died
52:Born
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