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Margaret Allen
Born 1948
Alma mater Swarthmore College,
University of California, San Diego,
Oakland Medical Center
Occupation Cardiothoracic surgeon

Margaret Allen, born in 1948, is an American heart surgeon and a scientist. She works at the Benaroya Research Institute. She made history as the first woman to ever perform a heart transplant. Margaret Allen also used to be the president of the United Network for Organ Sharing.

Early Life and Science Interests

Margaret Allen grew up in Des Moines, Iowa. She loved science from a very young age. Her father helped her explore this interest. They would collect insects and look at them under a microscope. He also took her on fun science trips.

After high school, she studied zoology at Swarthmore College. Zoology is the study of animals. During her summer breaks, she worked in Colorado. She studied how animals saved nitrogen in high places. Margaret first wanted to study how living things work. But she decided a medical degree would give her more choices for a career.

Becoming a Doctor and Surgeon

Medical School and Early Training

In 1970, Margaret Allen started medical school. She went to the University of California San Diego. She chose this school because it was new. It had many great professors from all over the country.

While in medical school, Margaret worked in a special lab. It was a lab for a surgeon who worked on blood vessels. This surgeon was putting experimental hearts into cows. This was Margaret's first time seeing heart surgery up close.

Specializing in Heart Surgery

After medical school, Margaret trained for five years in general surgery. She trained at Oakland Medical Center. Then, she trained for two more years in heart and chest surgery. This training was at King's College Hospital in London.

Before her next big training, Margaret traveled the world. She spent six months in Papua New Guinea. There, she worked as a doctor in a hospital. In 1982, she returned to the U.S. She began a special training program at Stanford University School of Medicine.

First Woman to Transplant a Heart

At Stanford, Margaret Allen learned from Norman Shumway. He was a very important doctor in heart transplantation. Under his teaching, Margaret made history. She became the first woman in the world to perform a heart transplant.

During her training, Margaret also helped a neighbor. This neighbor was a student studying languages. Margaret helped her with a project where a gorilla learned to communicate using sign language. After finishing her training in 1985, Margaret joined the surgical team at the University of Washington.

Leading a Medical Career

Building a Heart Transplant Program

Margaret Allen started the heart transplant program at the University of Washington Medical Center. This was the first program of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. She directed this program until 1996.

In 1990, she was named "Woman of the Year." For five years in a row, starting in 1992, she was called one of the "Best Doctors in America."

Leading Organ Donation Efforts

In 1994, Margaret Allen was chosen as the national president of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). This organization helps match donated organs with patients who need them. She was the first woman to hold this important job.

As president, she worked to make organ donation better. She helped reduce the waiting time for transplants. She also helped more people from different communities learn about organ donation. In 1995, she shared how computers helped match organs. This was recognized with an award.

Later Career and Contributions

In 1996, Margaret Allen left her role as transplant director at the University of Washington. In 1998, she became a professor there. Later, she had a disagreement with the university. She received a settlement in 2000. After 25 years, she left the heart transplant program and her research at the university.

She then became the medical director of the Hope Heart Institute. This charity helps prevent heart disease. She worked on many programs to teach people about heart health. In 2003, she was honored as a "Local Legend." In 2004, the institute joined the Benaroya Research Institute. There, she became part of the Hope Heart Matrix Biology Program.

See also

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