International Women’s Day was coined in 1911 and has since grown into a powerful global platform for celebrating the achievements of women while inspiring purposeful action towards gender equality. In honor of International Women’s Day, we are highlighting a few of our authors who have “Pressed for Progress” in a career traditionally dominated by men. These women have conducted groundbreaking research, are distinguished educators, are true visionaries in their fields, and are exemplary role models for women in medicine.

Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD, FACS, FAAO-HNS

Sujana S. Chandrasekhar, MD, FACS, FAAO-HNS is Consulting Editor of Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America. Dr. Chandrasekhar became the President of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in 2014. She is the third woman and the first person of Indian descent to hold this position.

Dr. Chandrasekhar has performed groundbreaking research on intranasal surfactant for otitis media and Eustachian tube dysfunction leading to commercial use of intranasal surfactant for OM and ETD. She is also funded for gender research in otolaryngology.

Dr. Chandrasekhar is actively involved in humanitarian outreach. She has led several medical/surgical missions to Nicaragua, and has delivered lectures and performed surgeries in India, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela. She was honored with the AAO-HNS’s Distinguished Service Award in September 2006 and 2012.

Anne G. Osborn, MD, FACR

Anne G. Osborn, MD, FACR is an acclaimed teacher and lecturer regarded as one of the world’s most prominent neuroradiologists. She is recognized internationally for her contributions to radiological education and for helping to establish the field of neuroradiology.

Dr. Osborn is the author of numerous journal articles and medical books, including Diagnostic Imaging: Brain, Imaging in Neurology, Osborn’s Brain, ExpertDDx: Brain and Spine, and Year Book of Diagnostic Radiology. She is also the co-creator of the first comprehensive point-of-care electronic imaging reference system, STATdx.

In 1988, Dr. Osborn became the first female president of the American Society of Neuroradiology. In 2000, she was the inaugural recipient of the Radiological Society of North America’s (RSNA) Outstanding Educator Award and in 2006, she received the RSNA’s highest honor, the Gold Medal. She has also received Honorary Membership from several international radiology professional societies.

Donna M. Ferriero, M.D.

Donna M. Ferriero, M.D. is a co-author of Swaiman’s Pediatric Neurology, 6th Edition. Dr. Ferriero is Director of the Neonatal Brain Disorder Laboratories and co-director of the Newborn Brain Research Institute at UCSF. She and her lab have performed groundbreaking research on oxidative stress during hypoxia-ischemia and neural cells during maturation-dependent injury.

Dr. Ferriero is a distinguished teacher and mentor and has been recognized by UCSF with multiple awards including the Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award (1991), the Robert B. Layzer Neurology Teaching Award (1994), the Chancellor’s Award for the Advancement of Women (2000), the Maureen Andrew Mentor Award from the Society for Pediatric Research (2006), and the Holly Smith Award for outstanding service to the School of Medicine. She has also been recognized for excellence and leadership in Neurology. She is the recipient of the Sydney Carter Award in Child Neurology (2000) and the Royer Award for Excellence in Academic Neurology (2007).

Dr. Ferriero is President-elect of the American University Professors of Neurology and President of the Child Neurology Society. She is on the editorial boards of several journals, including Elsevier’s Pediatric Neurology.

Paula J. Woodward, MD

Paula J. Woodward, MD is co-author of Diagnostic Imaging: Obstetrics, Imaging Anatomy: Chest, Abdomen, Pelvis, and Imaging Anatomy: Ultrasound.

Dr. Woodward currently holds the David G. Bragg, MD, and Marcia R. Bragg Presidential Endowed Chair in Oncologic Imaging at the University of Utah Medical Center. She was previously named Distinguished Scientist at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, DC.

Dr. Woodward received her medical degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, after which she fulfilled her commitment to the United States Air Force (USAF) with 8 years of service as an internal medicine intern, a flight surgeon, and a radiology resident at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Dr. Woodward has excelled as a radiology educator while also contributing to research. She has been named Teacher of the Year a total of six times at three different institutions, and was named 2014 Outstanding Educator by the RSNA for her accomplishments as a mentor, teacher, researcher, and author.

Prof. Valerie J. Lund, CBE, MB, BS, FRCS, FRCSEd

Professor Valerie J. Lund is a co-author of Cummings Otolaryngology, 6th Edition, which was deemed as Highly Commended in Surgical Specialties at the 2015 British Medical Book Awards. She has been honored around the world for her inspiring career, distinguished by many influential contributions to surgery and otolaryngology. Prof. Lund’s groundbreaking work on the endoscopic treatment of paranasal sinus cancer has saved numerous patients from radical and mutilating surgery.

Professor Lund has earned honorary society memberships in the U.S., Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Romania, Russia, and South Africa. In 2008, Queen Elizabeth II named her a Commander of the British Empire for her outstanding services to medicine. Professor Lund was also one of the first women inducted into the Collegium Amicitae Sacrum, otolaryngology’s most notable international honor society.

Susan Standring, PhD, DSc

Susan Standring, PhD, DSc is the Editor-in-Chief of Gray’s Anatomy. Dr. Standring is a past President of the Peripheral Nerve Society and of the Anatomical Society. She has spent over 40 years teaching anatomy to medical and dental students while also leading an extensive research career, publishing over 150 articles.

A large part of her research has consisted of peripheral nerve work, which lead to her initial involvement in Gray’s Anatomy. Dr. Standring was assigned the job of creating a bibliography for 36th edition after having suggested the idea to her supervisor, Peter Williams, who was the editor at the time. She then went on to edit the peripheral nerve section before being promoted to editor-in-chief of the 39th edition. In her time as editor she has made significant advancements to the fundamental text, changing the organization from a systematic approach to a regional approach and introducing the online-only components.

We appreciate the contributions these women, and all our women authors, have made to advance medicine and healthcare. In 2017, women enrolling in U.S. medical schools exceeded the number of men for the first time. We are proud to have our female authors paving the way for these female medical leaders of the future. To read more about these inspiring women and our other distinguished authors, visit our authors section on The Bookmark.