DR. MARIE MAYNARD DALY (1921-2003)
Dr. Marie Maynard Daly was an American biochemist whose research helped advance the fields of molecular biology, cell metabolism, and cardiovascular disease. She was the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. degree in chemistry in the United States.
Marie Maynard Daly was born in Queens, NY in 1921. Her parents encouraged education from a young age and her mother often read at length to her children. As a child, Daly’s favorite book was Microbe Hunters, a collection of stories about scientists who discovered a “new world under the microscope.
Daly attended Hunter College High School, an all-women’s institution that selected students based on merit only. The school was unique because of its diversity and because its teachers focused on science, math, business, and medicine. There, Daly was encouraged by her all-female teachers to become a chemist.
She attended Queen’s College, graduating in 1942 with numerous honors and a bachelors degree in chemistry. Upon graduating, Daly was offered a job as a laboratory assistant. She used the income from that position, along with a series of fellowships, to complete her master’s degree at NYU, followed by a PhD at Columbia University in 1947.
During her time at Columbia, Daly studied under Mary L. Caldwell, a prominent biochemist in the field of nutrition and the only female faculty member in the department. Under Caldwell, Daly focused her research on how enzymes break down food.
After graduation, Daly worked at Howard University teaching physical science. Two years later, she received a grant from the American Cancer Society to work at the Rockefeller Institute where she began researching cell growth and studying the composition and metabolism of parts of the cell nucleus (an important precursor to the identification of the DNA structure).
In 1955, Daly returned to Columbia To teach and continue her research. She is best known for her findings on the effects of cholesterol, sugars, and other nutrients on the heart. Daly’s research discovered the relationship between high cholesterol and clogged arteries and increased our understanding of how foods and diet affect the health of the heart and the circulatory system.
Throughout her tenure, Daly was dedicated to uplifting minority students, particularly women of color, in both medical school and graduate programs. In 1988, she created a scholarship at Queen’s College so students from minority groups had financial support to complete their studies.
Daly died in 2003 at the age of 82.
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