Lu Gwei-djen (; July 22, 1904 – November 28, 1991) was a Chinese biochemist and historian. She was an expert on the

history of science and technology in China Ancient Han Chinese, Chinese scientists and engineers made significant scientific innovations, findings and technological advances across various scientific disciplines including the natural sciences, engineering, medicine, military technology ...

and a researcher of nutriology. She was an important researcher and co-author of the project '' Science and Civilisation in China'' led by Joseph Needham.

Career

Lu began her distinguished career teaching biochemistry at the Women's Medical College in Shanghai between 1928 and 1930, then moved to teach at the medical school at St. John's University, Shanghai, between 1930 and 1933. She then took up a post as research assistant at the Henry Lester Institute for Medical Research, Shanghai, from 1933 to 1937. In 1938, she came to the UK for a year's postgraduate study at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

under Dorothy M. Needham, as a research student at Newnham College. In 1939, during World War II, she took up a post as research fellow at the Institute of Experimental Biochemistry,

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

, and at the Harriman Research Lab, San Francisco, from 1939 to 1941. She moved to the Hillman Hospital, Birmingham, Alabama, from 1941 to 1942, and then to the International Cancer Research Foundation, Philadelphia, from 1942 to 1945. In 1945, she joined the Needhams in

Chongqing ChongqingPostal Romanization, Previously romanized as Chungking ();. is a direct-administered municipality in Southwestern China. Chongqing is one of the four direct-administered municipalities under the State Council of the People's Republi ...

as a consultant for nutrition at the Co-operation office and in 1948, moved to Paris to work at

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

at the secretariat for natural sciences. From 1957 onwards, she was a research fellow of the Wellcome Medical Foundation, working with Dr Joseph Needham in Cambridge on the "Science & Civilisation in China" project. She was a Foundation Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge.

Works

Among the work on which she is credited as co-author are: * * * * *

Legacy

The ''Lu Gwei-Djen Prize for the History of Science'' awarded by

Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Gonville and Caius College, commonly known as Caius ( ), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1348 by Edmund Gonville, it is the fourth-oldest of the University of Cambridge's 31 colleges and ...

is named in her honour as is the ''Lu Gwei Djen Research Fellowship'' awarded by Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge - a position previously held by biophysicist Dr Eileen Nugent.

Personal life

The daughter of a pharmacist, she was well known as Needham's long-time collaborator, co-author,

Chinese language Chinese ( or ) is a group of languages spoken natively by the ethnic Han Chinese majority and List of ethnic groups in China, many minority ethnic groups in China, as well as by various communities of the Chinese diaspora. Approximately 1.39& ...

teacher and his second wife. Also published as ''Gun, Book and Compass''.

References

Additional sources

* Also published as ''Gun, Book and Compass''. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lu Gwei-Djen 1904 births 1991 deaths Joseph Needham Alumni of Newnham College, Cambridge Chinese biochemists Chinese emigrants to the United Kingdom Fellows of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge Chinese sinologists Writers from Nanjing Chemists from Jiangsu Historians from Jiangsu 20th-century Chinese historians Scientists from Nanjing Biologists from Jiangsu