The identification of pulmonary surfactant as the critical component missing in infants with respiratory distress syndrome fundamentally altered neonatal care. Mary Ellen Avery, an American pediatrician, linked this biochemical deficiency to premature death in the 1950s. Her clinical research eventually enabled effective replacement therapies, a contribution estimated to have saved more than 830,000 lives across the globe.
Early Education and Influences
Born in Camden, New Jersey, in 1927, Mary Ellen Avery attended Moorestown Friends School. She finished her undergraduate studies at Wheaton College in 1948, graduating summa cum laude in chemistry. In 1952, she earned her medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her interest in pediatric medicine was stimulated during childhood by her neighbor, pediatrician Emily Bacon, who provided early exposure to clinical practice.
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During a research fellowship at Harvard Medical School starting in 1957, Avery investigated why premature infants struggled to maintain lung function after birth. By comparing the lungs of infants who died from respiratory distress syndrome to those of healthy animals, she identified that a foamy substance, surfactant, was absent in the distressed subjects. This observation, published in the American Journal of Diseases of Children in 1959, provided the mechanical explanation for the syndrome.
Institutional Leadership
Avery held significant academic and clinical roles throughout her career. In 1969, she became physician-in-chief at Montreal Children's Hospital and professor at McGill University, the first woman to hold both positions. Returning to the United States in 1974, she joined Harvard Medical School as a professor of pediatrics and served as physician-in-chief at Children's Hospital Boston until 1985. Her administrative tenure focused on advancing basic research and expanding pediatric care standards.
Global Health Advocacy
Following her active clinical career, Avery worked extensively with UNICEF. Her efforts centered on promoting polio vaccination and oral rehydration therapy in developing regions. She also served as the first female president of the American Pediatric Society from 1990 to 1991. Avery received numerous accolades for her service, including the National Medal of Science in 1991, the Walsh McDermott Medal in 2000, and the John Howland Award in 2005.
Fast facts
- Born: 1927, Camden, New Jersey
- Died: 2011, West Orange, New Jersey
- Undergraduate Degree: Wheaton College, 1948
- Medical Degree: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 1952
- National Medal of Science: 1991
- John Howland Award: 2005
- Professional Field: Pediatrics
- Major Affiliation: Harvard Medical School
Questions readers ask
What was Mary Ellen Avery's primary medical discovery?
She discovered that respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants was caused by a lack of pulmonary surfactant in the lungs.
Did Avery hold any notable firsts for women in medicine?
Yes, she was the first woman to serve as physician-in-chief at both the Montreal Children's Hospital and Children's Hospital Boston, and the first to chair the department of pediatrics at McGill University.
Achievements
- National Medal of Science — 1991
- Walsh McDermott Medal — 2000
- Held posts at Harvard Medical School
- Fields: pediatrics
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