As we near the end of Women’s History Month, a time designated to commemorate the role of women in history, we will explore the life of a woman who made tremendous and long-lasting scientific contributions: Maria Skłodowska Curie.
Born in 1867 in Russian-controlled Warsaw, Maria youngest child of two teachers, Bronisława and Władysław Skłodowski. Maria had a humble childhood as her family had lost most of their money in their support of the political movements supporting an independent Poland. When the Russian government banned laboratory lessons in Polish schools, Maria’s dad brought equipment home, using it to teach his children about science.
Maria attended a boarding school after her mother died of tuberculosis and subsequently completed her secondary schooling. However, women could not pursue higher education, so she and her sister Bronisława began attending an underground institution known as a “Flying University” where students could learn in clandestine settings.
In 1894, Bronisława moved to Paris to study medicine, and Maria worked as a governess and touter in Poland to help financially support her sister’s education. After becoming an obstetrician-gynecologist, Bronisława and her husband brought Maria to Paris, where she began her formal studies at the Sorbonne in 1891.
Marie, as she became known in France, studied physics, chemistry, and math at the University. When she began to seek out more laboratory space to continue her studies, a Polish physicist introduced her to Pierre Curie, an instructor at another Paris institution that focused on physics and chemistry. Pierre helped Marie find laboratory space, and they eventually developed a relationship. Pierre and Marie married in 1895, and they shared a fruitful scientific collaboration until Pierre’s death.
Marie began her scientific career at a time full of notable advances in physics. German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen discovered X-rays, which sparked further research into mechanistic understanding. Shortly after, French physicist Henri Becquerel described the phenomenon, which would eventually be known as radioactivity, when he found that uranium salts spontaneously emitted rays, similar to X-rays.
Marie began to work on her PhD thesis, investigating the radioactive rays emitted from uranium. In 1898, Pierre and Marie, working in a converted shed next to the University, discovered two new elements: polonium, named after her native Poland, and radium, named after the Latin word for ‘ray.’ The Curies published several scientific articles on polonium, radium, and the concept of radioactivity, including one showing that radium killed cancer cells faster than healthy cells. This finding formed the hypothesis that radiation could treat tumors, leading to one of the most notable anti-cancer therapeutic discoveries to date. Notably, Pierre and Marie did not patent radium, thus receiving minimal financial benefit from the discovery.
1903 was a big year for Marie, including the completion of her studies and earning her PhD. The Royal Institution of London invited the Curies to speak on radioactivity. Due to the rules at the time, Marie, as a woman, could not speak publicly leaving Pierre to present alone. Most notably, in December, Pierre and Marie, jointly with Henri Becquerel, received the Nobel Prize in Physics for their studies on radiation. This honor made Marie the first woman awarded a Nobel Prize.
The University of Paris promoted Pierre to Chair the Physics department, and, importantly, he negotiated the funding of a new laboratory space for the Curies to continue their work. Sadly, Pierre died in a carriage accident in 1906. Marie, now a widow with two young daughters, accepted Peirre’s appointment as Chair of Physics, becoming the first woman professor at the University of Paris.
Marie eventually headed the Radium Institute (now known as the Curie Institute) at the University of Paris. She continued her work, culminating in her second Nobel Prize, this time in Chemistry, awarded in 1911. This made Marie the first person, man or woman, to win two Nobel Prizes.
During World War I, Marie spearheaded the use of field radiological centers on the front lines. Believing that surgeons could make more educated treatment decisions, particularly in determining the severity of wounds that could lead to amputation, if they had access to X-ray technology on the battlefield. The result, mobile radiography ambulances, known as “Little Curies,” became part of French military installments during the first year of the war. Marie eventually became the director of the Red Cross Radiology Service, overseeing the creation of the first military radiation center.
Marie died on July 4, 1934, at the age of 66. Doctors believed that Marie’s work on radium, which she carried out without the knowledge of modern safety measures, could have contributed to the aplastic anemia that led to her death. However, more recent reports suggest that exposure to X-rays during World War I more likely led to bone marrow damage resulting in her untimely death.
Marie’s contributions to radiation medicine greatly advanced cancer research and directly benefited patients. After her humble upbringing, Marie had to leave her home country to receive an education, and she spent her whole adult life making herself known in a male-dominated field. Marie’s perseverance in adversity makes her a notable woman to honor during Women’s History Month.
Sources: Wahington Post, Med Ped Oncol, Br J Radiology, Radiology, Nature
