1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeart Radio, Hey 2 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren bobebam here. Living through a global pandemic 3 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: will have a wealth of unintended consequences, positive and negative, 4 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: but one will certainly be a greater appreciation for people 5 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 1: in medical professions, from those on the front lines treating 6 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: patients to the researchers laboring behind the scenes seeking to 7 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: isolate viruses and discover vaccines, both now and in the past. 8 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: Dame Gene McNamara was one such hero. She witnessed and 9 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: made remarkable contributions in her chosen profession, medicine, principally in 10 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: the area of polio research and her work with patients 11 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 1: with partial or complete paralysis. McNamara was born in Victoria, Australia, 12 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 1: on April one. She was born into a family that 13 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 1: prized hard work and education, and she excelled at both. 14 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: McNamara attended Press Tyrian Ladies College and became the editor 15 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: of the school's magazine, winning the prize for General Excellence. 16 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: She distinguished herself at the University of Melbourne, graduating in 17 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 1: ninety two with degrees in both surgery and anatomy. She 18 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: went on to become a resident medical officer at the 19 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: Royal Melbourne Hospital. McNamara was just twenty three years old 20 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: when she was appointed resident at the Royal Children's Hospital 21 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: in May of nineteen three, where she worked until nineteen 22 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,400 Speaker 1: It was a critical time as a horrifying disease, polio 23 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: myelitis also known as polio, was sweeping the globe. After 24 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 1: leaving the hospital, mcnamaro worked as a clinical assistant for 25 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: a children's outpatients physician and entered private practice to focus 26 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:45,479 Speaker 1: on polio patients. But it was in McNamara's research where 27 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: she shone brightness. It was her conclusion that immune seram 28 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: needed to be used in polio treatment during the pre 29 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: paralytic stage. She published and defended her results in both 30 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: Australian and British journals, though it was a treatment that 31 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: was never widely administered. While visiting Princeton University, McNamara also 32 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: learned about the virus myzomatosis that infected and killed rabbits. 33 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: It was at her urging the Australian government held field 34 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: trials using the virus to eradicate millions of Australia's rabbits, 35 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: considered to be pests that had overpopulated the country. However, 36 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: it was her discovery in nineteen thirty one, along with 37 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:27,519 Speaker 1: Australian virologist Sir Frank McFarlane Burnett, of more than one 38 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: strain of the poliovirus, that made her reputation. They're Finding 39 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: is credited as one of the first steps toward the 40 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 1: eventual discovery of the stock vaccine. She traveled to England 41 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: and North America on a Rockefeller fellowship from September of 42 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty one to October of nineteen thirty three, even 43 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: meeting with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, himself a victim of polio. 44 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 1: In addition to her keen interest in curing disease, McNamara 45 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,679 Speaker 1: sought to alleviate the pain and suffering that it left 46 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: in its wake. She's credited with ordering the first artificial 47 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: respirator or ventilator in Australia. She introduced novel approaches to 48 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: rehabilitation and splinting damaged limbs, most developed in conjunction with 49 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: conversation with patients and her own splint maker. McNamara proved 50 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 1: to be a tireless advocate for people with disabilities, long 51 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: before it was a widespread consideration She married a fellow physician, 52 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,519 Speaker 1: dermatologist Joseph Connor, in thirty four, and in nineteen thirty 53 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: five McNamara was appointed Name Commander of the Order of 54 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: the British Empire for her services to the welfare of children. 55 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: She died of heart disease in nineteen sixty eight. Today's 56 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: episode is based on the article polio doc Gene McNamara's 57 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: work CRUs Viruses can be Vanquished on how stuffworks dot Com, 58 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: written by Patty rest Musin. Brain Stuff is production of 59 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: by Heart Radio in partnership with how Stuffworks dot Com 60 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: and is produced by Tyler Clang. For more podcasts by 61 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 62 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.