Ida Stephens Owens

American biochemist and geneticist

Ida Stephens Owens at the NIH

Ida Stephens Owens (September 18, 1939 – February 24, 2020) was a pioneering American biochemist and geneticist known for her groundbreaking research in the field of drug metabolism. She was one of the first African American women to earn a Ph.D. from Duke University, and she spent her career at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where she made significant contributions to the understanding of xenobiotic metabolism.

Early life and education

Ida Stephens Owens was born in Whiteville, North Carolina. She grew up in a segregated society, which presented numerous challenges to her educational pursuits. Despite these obstacles, Owens excelled academically and was determined to pursue higher education. She attended North Carolina Central University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in biology.

Owens then became one of the first African American students to attend Duke University as part of its graduate program. In 1967, she earned her Ph.D. in physiology, becoming one of the first African American women to do so at Duke. Her doctoral research focused on the biochemistry of drug metabolism, laying the foundation for her future work.

Career at the National Institutes of Health

After completing her Ph.D., Owens joined the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a research fellow. She worked in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), where she began her pioneering research on xenobiotic metabolism. Her work focused on the enzyme systems responsible for the metabolism of drugs and other foreign compounds in the human body.

Owens's research was instrumental in identifying and characterizing the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzyme family, which plays a critical role in the detoxification and elimination of drugs. Her work helped to elucidate the genetic basis of variability in drug metabolism among individuals, which has important implications for pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine.

Contributions to science and legacy

Ida Stephens Owens's contributions to the field of biochemistry and genetics have had a lasting impact on the understanding of drug metabolism. Her research has been widely recognized for its significance in the development of safer and more effective drug therapies.

Throughout her career, Owens was a mentor and role model for many young scientists, particularly women and minorities in science. Her achievements have been celebrated as a testament to her perseverance and dedication to scientific excellence.

Related pages

• Biochemistry
• Genetics
• Pharmacogenomics
• National Institutes of Health
• Duke University