Jane Cooke Wright

Jane Cooke Wright was a cancer researcher and surgeon whose work in the 1950s and 60s pioneered the use of chemotherapy against solid tumors, including breast cancer. She developed methods of testing drug effectiveness on tumor tissue outside the body, saving countless patients from ineffective treatments. She served as associate dean of New York Medical College — the highest-ranking African American woman at any American medical institution at the time.

“There's lots of fun in exploring the unknown. There's no greater thrill than to make a positive contribution.”