public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
,
virology
Virology is the Scientific method, scientific study of biological viruses. It is a subfield of microbiology that focuses on their detection, structure, classification and evolution, their methods of infection and exploitation of host (biology), ...
, and
epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population.
It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evidenc ...
. She is the dean at the School of Community Health Sciences at the
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. It includes the S ...
. Guinan is known for her work in the initial investigation of the HIV/AIDS epidemic for the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...
(CDC). The book and subsequent film ''And the Band Played On'', by Randy Shilts documented her efforts regarding these issues; she was played by
Glenne Headly
Glenne Aimee Headly (March 13, 1955 – June 8, 2017) was an American actress. She was widely known for her roles in '' Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'', ''Dick Tracy'', and ''Mr. Holland's Opus''. Headly received a Theatre World Award and four Joseph J ...
. Later on, she became the first female State Health Officer appointed to the Nevada government. Guinan also became president of the American Medical Woman's Association, after 40 years of membership.
Early life and education
Guinan was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1939, to parents who had emigrated from Ireland. She began her educational career at the Hunter College City University of New York, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts. After her undergraduate time at Hunter ended, she received a Ph.D. in biochemistry and physiology at the University of Texas Medical Branch located in Galveston, Texas. She finished her formal education by receiving an M.D. from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, Maryland.
After completing her residency in Internal Medicine at Hershey Medical Center (at Pennsylvania State University), she pursued an Infectious Disease Fellowship at University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Later in her career, she was elected to the Fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America for her excellence in research regarding the topic.
Early career
Guinan began her career working in a Chiclet gum factory developing flavors after graduating with a chemistry degree from Hunter College. She took this job reluctantly after realizing the shortage of openings for females in chemistry-related careers. Shortly after joining the company, she encountered her first glass ceiling: male colleagues were making far higher salaries than their female counterparts. Guinan attempted to apply to graduate school for chemistry upon facing discrimination at work, but the schools did not accept females or did not aid in the financial burden the tuition imposed.
She instead began a new career path after being accepted to the University of Texas at Galveston for a doctorate of physiology. In this time, she heavily considered pursuing a career in space-related endeavors as US space programs blossomed, but again faced obstacles. She learned females were not even allowed into the command room near the men in the space program out of fear of distraction. It was then she turned her sights on medicine.
Smallpox eradication program member
After completing her medical residency, Guinan joined a two-year training program with the
Epidemic Intelligence Service
The Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) is a program of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The modern EIS is a two-year, hands-on post-doctoral training program in epidemiology, with a focus on field work.
History
Creation ...
of the CDC, and asked to work with the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
(WHO) on
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
eradication. She was originally rejected as she learned the WHO was not accepting women, but later discovered it was India behind this decision. She threatened to write a letter to the prime minister,
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (; Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was elected as third prime minister of India in 1966 ...
, who was a female herself, directly addressing the alleged ban. It was just a week later when she was accepted to the program.
Guinan spent five months with a team in
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, where she worked to identify locals suffering from smallpox and subsequently ring vaccinate those susceptible to the disease in the immediate area (generally a 10-mile radius from the infected individual). She worked out of a small mud hut and traveled by Jeep with a translator to accompany her on her endeavors. A reward of 10 rupees was provided to any local citizen able to look at a picture of smallpox and identify someone they knew who was suffering. This process assisted in administering vaccinations to those who were infected primarily, and then to their close circle; this is ring vaccination.
Soon after Guinan returned to the U.S. to complete her program, Uttar Pradesh reached a zero infection rate. She continued these efforts in Pakistan in the 1980s, working with refugees.
After her EIS training, Guinan was accepted to an infectious disease fellowship at the
University of Utah
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
. There, she studied the
herpes
Herpes simplex is a viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. Infections are categorized based on the part of the body infected.
Oral herpes involves the face or mouth. It may result in small blisters in groups often called cold s ...
virus, focusing on
oral herpes
Gingivostomatitis is a combination of gingivitis and stomatitis, or an inflammation of the oral mucosa and gingiva. Herpetic gingivostomatitis is often the initial presentation during the first ("primary") herpes simplex infection. It is of greater ...
. Soon she found herself "an expert" on
genital herpes
Genital herpes is an infection by the herpes simplex virus (HSV) of the genitals. Most people either have no or mild symptoms and thus do not know they are infected. When symptoms do occur, they typically include small blisters that break ope ...
after answering questions and lecturing about oral herpes. After many days of news interviews and calls from all over the world asking for help with genital herpes, Guinan decided to become the genital herpes expert everyone thought she was; she focused on women, who were not studied as thoroughly as men, at that time. She became known as "The Herpes Expert".
Reflecting on her career in medicine, Guinan stated, "I grew up with parents who were immigrants from Ireland, and they always told me that I was in the greatest country in the world and that I should be giving back what I was given."
HIV/AIDS and Ebola efforts
In 1978, Guinan was asked to work with the Venereal Disease Control Division (renamed
STD
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and oral sex ...
Division) of the CDC. By 1981, when the CDC began investigating
HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
/
AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
she was the only
virologist
Virology is the scientific study of biological viruses. It is a subfield of microbiology that focuses on their detection, structure, classification and evolution, their methods of infection and exploitation of host cells for reproduction, their ...
in the STD unit. She was made a member of the AIDS task force, which was credited with "discovering" the AIDS epidemic. While investigating the epidemic, a newspaper columnist, Randy Shilts, often interviewed Guinan. In 1987, the book ''
And the Band Played On
''And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic'' is a 1987 book by ''San Francisco Chronicle'' journalist Randy Shilts. The book chronicles the discovery and spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immun ...
'' was published, and included interviews with Dr. Guinan.
In 1990, after becoming the first woman to be the Associated Director for Science at the CDC, Guinan was made the Assistant Director for Evaluation, Office of HIV/AIDS at the CDC, a position she would hold until 1995. In 1995–98, still with the CDC, she was the named the Chief of th Urban Research centers (New York, Seattle, Detroit), a community-based prevention and health promotion effort.
She continued her interest in disease by participating in efforts regarding Ebola. Speaking on the frontline workers, she proclaimed, "One can only be in awe of the many dedicated workers who have volunteered to serve in such a dangerous environment. Not the least of these are the medical detectives who collect clues, analyze data, investigate suspected cases, and carry out their public health mission".
Nevada Chief State Health Officer
In 1998, Guinan became the Nevada State Chief Health Officer, the first woman to hold that position. When asked why she chose Nevada, she said that while states like New York and California had a solid base of public health practices, Nevada was just beginning to develop its plans; as such, it was a great opportunity to make a large impact on the health of Nevada's citizens.
During her tenure she oversaw investigations regarding the Fallon
cancer cluster
A cancer cluster is a disease cluster in which a high number of cancer cases occurs in a group of people in a particular geographic area over a limited period of time.2009 H1N1 influenza A virus
pandemic
A pandemic () is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. A widespread endemic (epidemiology), endemic disease wi ...
(acting).
Honors and awards
* 2014
Elizabeth Blackwell Award
Hobart and William Smith Colleges are private liberal arts colleges in Geneva, New York. They trace their origins to Geneva Academy established in 1797. Students can choose from 45 majors and 68 minors with degrees in Bachelor of Arts, Bachelo ...
from the
American Medical Women's Association
The American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) is a professional advocacy and educational organization of women in medicine, women physicians and medical students. Founded in 1915 by Bertha vanhoosen, Bertha Van Hoosen, the AMWA works to advance ...
* 2001 Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Texas Medical Branch Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
Publications
In 2016, Guinan published an autobiography entitled ''Adventures of a Female Medical Detective: In Pursuit of Smallpox and AIDS'', which was co-written by Anne D. Mather. The book details 12 vivid stories of her life working to combat both smallpox and AIDS."The Epidemiologist Who Crushed The Glass Ceiling And Media Stupidity." NPR.Org, https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/04/17/474368198/the-epidemiologist-who-gave-cnn-sass-for-asking-a-stupid-question. Accessed 25 June 2021.