Alice S. Whittemore facts for kids

Alice Segers Whittemore is an American scientist who uses math to solve medical mysteries. She is an epidemiologist, which means she studies how diseases affect people. She is also a biostatistician, a person who uses statistics to understand health and biology.

Whittemore is famous for studying how our genes and lifestyles can affect our risk of getting cancer. Before she became a health expert, she was a mathematician who studied complex patterns in a field called group theory. Today, she is a professor at Stanford University.

From Math Puzzles to Medical Mysteries

Whittemore started her career loving pure mathematics. She earned her first degree from Marymount Manhattan College in 1958. She then got a master's degree from Hunter College in 1964. In 1967, she finished her Ph.D. in math, writing about a special topic called Frattini subgroups.

While working as a math professor at Hunter College, she became fascinated by epidemiology and statistics. She wanted to use her math skills to solve real-world health problems. To make this big career change, she took a special training program at New York University.

In 1978, Whittemore and her husband, Joseph Keller, who was also a scientist, moved to Stanford University. There, she became a professor in the Department of Health Research and Policy. She even led the epidemiology department for several years.

Solving Important Health Questions

One of Whittemore's most well-known studies looked at the link between certain medicines that help with pregnancy and ovarian cancer. Her research found a connection, especially for women who used the medicines but did not become pregnant.

More recently, Whittemore has used her skills to study why the risk of ovarian cancer might be different among people of various racial and ethnic backgrounds. Her work helps doctors and scientists understand diseases better.

A Career Full of Awards

Whittemore's important work has earned her many awards and honors.

• In 1992, she was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a big honor for a scientist.
• She is also a member of the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest honors in the health and medicine fields.
• In 2004, she won the Janet L. Norwood Award for being an outstanding woman in statistics.
• In 2005, she received the Florence Nightingale David Award, another major prize for female statisticians.
• In 2010, the American Statistical Association gave her a lifetime achievement award for her work in epidemiology.
• In 2016, she was chosen for the R. A. Fisher Lectureship, a top award for statisticians. She was recognized for her amazing contributions to understanding health risks and cancer, and for being a great role model for young scientists.