Rowley, Janet Davison, 1925–2013, American physician and geneticist, b. New York City, M.D. Univ. of Chicago, 1948. Rowley was associated with the Univ. of Chicago from 1962, and was a full professor there from 1977 to 2013. Interested in chromosomal aberrations and genetic abnormalities, she discovered that translocations, a process in which two chromosomes exchange genetic material, can interrupt the processes of cell growth and division, leading to cancers. Between 1972 and 1977 she identified specific translocations that cause several forms of leukemia. Her discoveries linking genetic mutations to types of leukemia and lymphoma allowed for the development of new drugs and treatments for these and other diseases.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Medicine: Biographies
