Eeva Maria Therman-Patau (1916–2004) was a Finnish-born American geneticist. She worked to characterize the effects and cytogenetics of trisomy 13 and trisomy 18, two rare and usually fatal genetic disorders caused by an extra copy of chromosome 13 and 18, respectively.[2][3][4] Her works include Human Chromosomes: Structure, Behavior, Effects, a textbook on cytogenetics which is in its 4th edition.[5] Her research specialties included X-inactivation in mammals and chromosomal abnormalities in cancer.[1]

Eeva Therman-Patau
Portrait of Eeva Therman as a young woman from her obituary in Helsingin Sanomat, written by her friend and colleague Petter Portin.
Born
Eeva Maria Therman

August 4, 1916[1]
Helsinki, Finland
DiedJune 12, 2004(2004-06-12) (aged 87)
Helsinki, Finland
Resting placeKulosaari Cemetery
NationalityFinland, United States
Alma materUniversity of Helsinki
Known forGenetics of trisomy 13 and trisomy 18
Spouse(s)Heikki Suomalainen (1943–49)
Klaus Patau (1961–75)
Childrentwo
Scientific career
FieldsBiology
InstitutionsUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison

She received her PhD from the University of Helsinki in 1947.[6] She emigrated to the United States in 1958, and shortly thereafter began to work as a research assistant in Klaus Patau's laboratory in the Department of Genetics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Three years later, she married Patau. Due to university hiring rules, she was unable to become faculty until Patau's death in 1975.[7] She retired in 1986, and returned to Finland in 2002.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Portin, Petter (June 12, 2004). "Eeva Therman-Patau". Helsingin Sanomat. Helsinki. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Memorial Resolution of the Faculty of the University of Wisconsin–Madison on the Death of Professor Emerita Eeva Therman Patau" (PDF) (Faculty document). University of Wisconsin–Madison. April 4, 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 13, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  3. ^ Patau, Klaus; Smith, David W.; Therman, Eeva; Inhorn, Stanley L.; Wagner, Hans P. (April 9, 1960). "Multiple congenital anomaly caused by an extra autosome". The Lancet. 275 (7128): 790–793. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(60)90676-0. PMID 14430807.
  4. ^ Smith, David W.; Patau, Klaus; Therman, Eeva; Inhorn, Stanley L. (September 1, 1960). "A new autosomal trisomy syndrome: multiple congenital anomalies caused by an extra chromosome". The Journal of Pediatrics. 57 (3): 338–345. doi:10.1016/S0022-3476(60)80241-7. PMID 13831938.
  5. ^ Therman, Eeva (1980). Human Chromosomes: Structure, Behavior, Effects. New York: Springer-Verlag New York. doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-0107-3. ISBN 978-1-4684-0109-7. S2CID 36686283.
  6. ^ Laud, Rose; Cadogan, Mike (Nov 3, 2020). "Eeva Therman • LITFL • Medical Eponym Library". Life in the Fastlane. Archived from the original on March 13, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  7. ^ "History – Genetics – UW-Madison". University of Wisconsin–Madison. Retrieved March 13, 2021.