Monday 2 September 2013

Maureen Young 1915-2013


Maureen Young in Denmark 1989

Professor I. Maureen Young made an important contribution to our knowledge of amino acid transfer across the placenta and its role in fetal nutrition.

Maureen Young graduated from Bedford College for Women in 1938 and continued there as a demonstrator and assistant lecturer. During the Second World War the College evacuated to Cambridge where Maureen met Sir Joseph Barcroft. This was the start of a life long interest in fetal physiology (see her review of Barcroft's book here). In 1946 she moved to St. Thomas's Hospital Medical School. She was Professor of Perinatal Physiology there from 1976 until her retirement in 1982. She then settled at Toft in Cambridge.

Maureen was one of a generation of women who rose to the top in research often at great personal sacrifice. She wrote about some of the others in Women Physiologists (Portland Press 1993). At placenta meetings she was often to be found in the company of her American counterpart Elizabeth M. Ramsey (previous post).

Although international travel was eventually curtailed, Maureen continued to attend scientific meetings at Cambridge until well into her 95th year. She will be greatly missed. 

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