Elizabeth Weisburger

WEISBURGER, Elizabeth, née Kreiser, American chemist, b-1924. An expert on chemical carcinogens. She synthesised analogues of 2-amino-acetylfluorine in 1947, to be tested at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Public Health Service (USPHS). From 1949 onwards, her career research concerned carcinogenesis. Elizabeth applied aromatic amines and aminoazo dyes to rodents, and developed the use of rodent liver tumours as markers for carcinogenosis. The dangers of mutagens arising from anti-tumour drugs became evident from these studies. Elizabeth was made responsible for introduction of a better selection process for the types of chemical compounds to be tested. Her publications on identification of hazardous chemicals number in the hundreds. From 1977-1989 she was Chair of the Carcinogenesis Working Group. The 1981 recipient of the Garvan Medal. Retired in 1989, but was still publishing.

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