Edith Graef McGeer, (November 18, 1923 – August 28, 2023) was an American-Canadian neuroscientist, best known for her work and contributions to the research of prevention and treatment of

Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

and other

neurodegenerative A neurodegenerative disease is caused by the progressive loss of neurons, in the process known as neurodegeneration. Neuronal damage may also ultimately result in their death. Neurodegenerative diseases include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, mul ...

diseases. Edith McGeer, along with her husband and co-collaborator, Patrick McGeer, were recognized by the International Scientific Institute as one of the 100 most highly cited researchers in neuroscience. She was co-founder of Aurin Biotech, which is advancing the drug AUR1107 in pre-clinical trials and

FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

approval as an

anti-inflammatory Anti-inflammatory is the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation, fever or swelling. Anti-inflammatory drugs, also called anti-inflammatories, make up about half of analgesics. These drugs reduce pain by inhibiting mechan ...

treatment for Alzheimer's, muscular degenerative conditions and some

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

Education

McGeer, who said that her interest in

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

began when she was five, skipped grades at the St. Agatha's School for Girls. At 16 years old, she declared a chemistry major at

Swarthmore College Swarthmore College ( , ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the e ...

and was not met with encouragement from the head of the chemistry department, since science wasn't considered a fitting profession for a woman in 1940. Graduating Phi Beta Kappa, McGeer completed her doctorate in

organic chemistry Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the science, scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic matter, organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain ...

from the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

in two years.

Career accomplishments and awards

McGeer was a research chemist for the

DuPont Company Dupont, DuPont, Du Pont, duPont, or du Pont may refer to: People * Dupont (surname), a surname of French origin * Du Pont family, one of the wealthiest families in the United States Companies * DuPont, one of the world's largest chemical compan ...

and moved to

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

where she worked as a research assistant at the University of British Columbia Medical School and eventually received the title of Professor Emeritus. McGeer held 10 patents and contributed to 525 articles and was the recipient of a special award by the British Columbia Science Council for lifetime contribution. McGeer is identified as one of the top 100 most highly cited neuroscientists. She was jointly appointed an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

in 1995 and a

Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada Fellowship of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Canada judges to have "made remarkable contributions in the arts, the humanities and the sciences, as well as in Canadian public life" ...

in 2001. She died on August 28, 2023, at the age of 99.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McGeer, Edith Graef 1923 births 2023 deaths 20th-century American women scientists Alzheimer's disease researchers American neuroscientists Scientists from New York City Swarthmore College alumni University of Virginia alumni American women neuroscientists American expatriate academics in Canada