Marilyn Hughes Gaston, MD — pediatric medicine
Courtesy Parklawn Health Library
Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston (b. 1939) faced poverty and prejudice as a young student, but was determined to become a physician. She dedicated her career to medical care for poor and minority families, and campaigns for health care equality for all Americans. Her 1986 study of sickle-cell disease led to a nationwide screening program to test newborns for immediate treatment. She was the first African American woman to direct a public health service bureau (the Bureau of Primary Health Care in the United States Department of Health and Human Services).
Read more about Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston.
For more information about sickle cell disease, visit MedlinePlus.
