Role Model in Science –
Prof. Donna M. Ferriero
By Cherry Chow
周卓瑩
Prof.
Ferriero knew very early on in
her formative years, that she was cut out to be
more than what many women chose for careers
back then. Her prolific journey began in science,
something that she had loved since high school.
Equipped with a bachelor’s degree in zoology
and a master’s in immunology from Rutgers
Un i ver s i t y, she then obta i ned a degree i n
medicine and pursued her postdoctoral studies
at the University of California, San Francisco. Not
only did she manage to overcome obstacles
that accompanied choosing a career in a male
dominated industr y, but went on to achieve
much more. Prof. Ferriero now balances her time
between being Chief Physician at UCSF Benioff
Children’s Hospital and a researcher at the UCSF
Neonatal Brain Disorders Centre.
Over the past 20 years, Prof. Fer riero has
focused her research efforts primarily on the
pathobiology of hypoxic-ischemic injury in the
developing nervous system (in newborns). This
type of injury is mainly an effect of insufficient
blood flow to the brain to maintain its normal
functions and lowered oxygen concentration in
arterial blood due to stroke in the brain. Many
cases result in motor or cognitive disabilities,
and birth asphyxia related injuries as a whole,
accounting for 23% of al l neonatal deaths
worldwide [1,2]. While exper ts are uncer tain
on the causes of hypoxic-ischemic injuries in
newborns, Prof. Ferriero provides several theories.
Overly-reactive protective mechanisms during
birth, trauma, infection, or genetics are likely
culprits. Uterine rupture and placenta abruption
in pregnancy can also separate blood supply
from the mother to the fetus.
Much of her current research seeks to find
innovative treatment for hypoxic-ischemic related
injuries in newborns, in the form of signaling and
repair by growth factors. These growth factors
科學家典範
－
唐娜．費列羅教授
Prof. Donna Ferriero
is Professor of
Neurobiology and
Pediatrics at University
of California,
San Francisco,
Physician-in-
Chief at UCSF
Benioff Children’s
Hospital and
Principal
Investigator of
UCSF’s Neonatal
Brain Disorders
Centre.
唐娜．費列羅教授
為加州大學三藩市
分校（UCSF）神經內
科及兒科學系教授、
UCSF 貝尼奧夫兒童
醫院的主任醫生，以及
UCSF 的新生兒腦障
礙中心的首席研究員。
