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Draft:Norma Gaillard

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Norma Gaillard
Alma materTuskegee University

Norma Gaillard was a cell culture supervisor and educator at the Tuskegee Infantile Paralysis Center. In 1955, she and a team of fellow scientists worked to produce a polio vaccine within the George Washington Carver Research Foundation on the Tuskegee campus. By July 1955, the team had produced 600,000 Salk vaccine cultures from HeLa cells.[1]

Early Life and Education

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Mrs. Gaillard received her bachelor's degree at North Carolina Central University, before moving on to Tuskegee University to pursue her master's degree in organic chemistry, graduating in 1948.[2]

Career and Legacy

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In 1953, Gaillard joined the team at the Tuskegee Institute working to produce and transport polio vaccines. The university encountered issues with contamination, which Gaillard and her associates resolved with the help of special air conditioners employed to keep their lab cool and remove dust and humidity.

In March 2024, Tuskegee University unveiled a monument to Henrietta Lacks and the team of scientists that produced the polio vaccine, including Norma Gaillard.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Ramirez, Ainissa. "Hidden Black Scientists Proved the Polio Vaccine Worked". Scientific American. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  2. ^ Chandler, Dana R. (July 10, 2018). To Raise Up the Man Farthest Down: Tuskegee University’s Advancements in Human Health, 1881–1987. University of Alabama Press. ISBN 9780817319892.
  3. ^ "Monument unveiled at Tuskegee University to remember Henrietta Lacks and her impact on polio fight". WAKA 8. 2024-03-14. Retrieved 2024-03-27.