U.S. National Institutes of Health

Hattie Elizabeth Alexander, MD — research (microbiology), pediatric medicine

Courtesy Archives & Special Collections, Columbia University Health Sciences Division

Pediatrician, microbiologist, and educator Dr. Hattie Alexander (1901–1968) won international acclaim for developing a serum to combat influenzal meningitis, a common childhood disease that is nearly always fatal to infants and young children. She pioneered the study of bacterial mutation and resistance to antibiotics, and in 1964, she became one of the first women to head a national medical association as president of the American Pediatric Society.

Read more about Dr. Hattie Elizabeth Alexander.

For more information about meningitis, visit MedlinePlus.

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