María Auxiliadora Clavier (1934 – 2015), also called Maruja Clavier, was one of the first Venezuelan nuclear oncologists. She was a founder of the Dr. Raúl Vera Vera Oncology Unit, at the time a novel setting to provide comprehensive care to cancer patients in the country using nuclear medicine.
Biography
Maruja Clavier was born in 1934 in the
Anzoátegui State
Anzoátegui State (, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela, located in the northeastern region of the country. Anzoátegui is well known for its beaches that attract many visitors. Its coast consists of a single beach approximately long. Its ca ...
located in the northeastern region of
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
. She began her baccalaureate education at the Colegio Nuestra Señora de La Consolación in
Barcelona, Venezuela
Barcelona is the capital of Anzoátegui State, Venezuela, and was founded in 1671. Together with Puerto La Cruz, Lecheria and Guanta, Barcelona forms one of the most important urban areas of Venezuela, with a population of approximately 950,000 ...
and completed it in
Goshen, New York
Goshen is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 14,571 at the 2020 census.US Census Bureau, 2020 Census Report Goshen, Orange County, New York QuickFacts https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/goshentownorangecountyne ...
. Upon returning to Venezuela, she revalidated her work at the Liceo Fermín Toro. Later she enrolled at the School of Medicine of the
University of Los Andes, and then transferred to the School of Medicine of the
Central University of Venezuela
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
, where she graduated as a physician in 1960.
Clavier's interest in the medicinal power of
nuclear medicine
Nuclear medicine (nuclear radiology, nucleology), is a medical specialty involving the application of radioactivity, radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Nuclear imaging is, in a sense, ''radiology done inside out'', ...
was sparked when she translated from English into Spanish the book ''Physical Foundations of Radiology'' by
Edith Quimby (et al.), who was one of the founders of this medical specialty. In 1963, Clavier graduated with the first class of
radiation oncologist
A radiation oncologist is a specialist physician who uses ionizing radiation (such as megavoltage X-rays or radionuclides) in the treatment of cancer. Radiation oncology is one of the three primary specialties, the other two being surgical an ...
s in the country, and the following year she founded the Eastern Chapter of the Society of Oncology in Barcelona, Venezuela. She served as its first president.
She helped create the Dr. Raúl Vera Vera
Oncology Unit
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος ('' ...
, one of the first to provide comprehensive care to cancer patients.
Personal life
Clavier had five children. Two of her sons, Eduardo and Antonio Benavides, went on to pursue careers as Venezuelan oncologists.
Translations
* Glasser, O.; Quimby, E. H.; Taylor, L. S.; Weatherwax, J. L. (1944), ''Physical Foundations of Radiology'', New York: Hoeber
Memberships
* Venezuelan Society of Oncology, President of the Eastern Chapter, 1964
* Venezuelan Mastology Society, Member of the Electoral Committee 2003-2005
References
External links
* VESSURI, HEBE M. C. “The Search for a Scientific Community in Venezuela: From Isolation to Applied Research.” Minerva, vol. 22, no. 2, 1984, pp. 196–235. JSTOR
www.jstor.org/stable/41820563 Accessed 12 June 2020.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clavier, Maruja
1934 births
2015 deaths
Venezuelan women physicians
Venezuelan oncologists
Central University of Venezuela alumni
University of the Andes (Venezuela) alumni