15 Jane Cooke Wright

Dr. Jane Cooke Wright

Time period:

1919 – 2013

Subject:

Medicine (Oncology)

Biography:

Born in New York City in 1919, Dr. Jane Cooke Wright was daughter to Dr. Louis Wright, who was one of the first African-American graduates from Havard medical school. Her father set a very high standard for her and her sisters. She graduated with honours from New York Medical College in 1945, interned at Bellevue Hospital from 1945 to 1946 in Internal Medicine, and then eventually completed her residency at Harlem Hospital as chief resident.

In 1949, she joined her father, who was the director of the Cancer Research Foundation, at Harlem Hospital in cancer research, specifically in chemotherapy (anti-cancer drugs), which was groundbreaking at the time. While her father worked in the labs, she worked on delivering patient trails in cancer research. In 1952 after her father’s death, Dr. Jane Wright was appointed the first female head of the Cancer Research Foundation at the age of 33. In 1971, she was also the first woman to be elected president of the New York Cancer society.

Summary of their contributions:

Chemotherapy was groundbreaking at the time Dr. Jane Wright was researching it and she published many research papers on cancer chemotherapy. She is sometimes referred to as the Mother of Chemotherapy for her contributions to cancer research. Her work established the efficacy of methotrexate (a drug) in treating breast cancer and skin cancer. Dr. Wright also developed the technique of using human tissue culture rather than laboratory mice to test the effects of potential drugs on cancer cells. She also led teams of oncologists to China, the Soviet Union, and countries in Africa and Eastern Europe. Additionally, she led medical teams in 1957 in Ghana and 1961 in Kenya to provide medical/cancer care and education to other medical personnel. Furthermore, from 1973 to 1984, she served as vice-president of the African Research and Medical foundation.

Integration with the BC Secondary Science Curriculum:

In Anatomy and Physiology 12 (Bio 12), there is a unit on diseases, of which cancer is one, as well as a unit on DNA and gene expression. Her research could be discussed when talking about modern-day and historical treatments of cancer.

Curricular competencies that could be used include:

• (Questioning and predicting) Demonstrate a sustained intellectual curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal, local, or global interest
  • She recognized the lack of current cancer treatment and was a pioneer for chemotherapy research, which has saved countless lives. Students could discuss/research current and past cancer treatments after reading about her work, as cancer still takes many lives today.
• (Planning and Conducting) Assess risks and address ethical, cultural, and/or environmental issues associated with their proposed method
  • She recognized the unethical use of laboratory mice in research and pioneered using tissue cultures instead.
• (Applying and Innovating) Consider the role of scientists in innovation
  • This entire pressbrook of many accomplished scientists can accurately describe this curricular competency. It’s important to note what scientists have accomplished in their field to innovate and solve modern day/ world problems. This could lead to a discuss about the features/nature of science and have students come up with what they think Science should be used for.

References:

Building Student Success – B.C. Curriculum. (n.d.). Curriculum.gov.bc.ca. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/science/12/anatomy-and-physiology

Mitchell, E. (2021, February 19). Remembering Jane Cooke Wright, a Black woman, who was among seven founders of ASCO. Cancer History Project. https://cancerhistoryproject.com/people/remembering-jane-cooke-wright-a-black-woman-who-was-among-seven-founders-of-asco/

National Library of Medicine. (2015, June 15). Changing the Face of Medicine | Jane Cooke Wright. Cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov. https://cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/physicians/biography_336.html/

Thrasher, J. (2021, February 24). Celebrating Black History Month – Jane Cooke Wright | Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. Mbb.yale.edu. https://mbb.yale.edu/news/celebrating-black-history-month-jane-cooke-wright