Jacqueline Noonan
Encyclopedia
Jacqueline Anne Noonan is a pediatric
cardiologist
best known for her characterization of a genetic disorder now called Noonan syndrome
. She was also the original describer of hypoplastic left heart syndrome
.
. She studied chemistry
at Albertus Magnus College
, medicine at the University of Vermont
, and became certified in her field in Boston
in 1956. She subsequently began work at the University of Iowa
. As their first pediatric cardiologist, she noticed that children with a rare type of heart defect called pulmonary valve stenosis
often had a characteristic physical appearance with short stature, webbed neck, wide-spaced eyes, and low-set ears. She presented her first paper on the subject in 1963, and after several more papers and recognition, the condition was officially named Noonan syndrome in 1971. Dr. Noonan moved on to the fledgling University of Kentucky
medical school in 1961, where she served for over forty years. An endowed chair in pediatric research has been established in her name, and she is semi-retired as of 2007.
Pediatrics
Pediatrics or paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. A medical practitioner who specializes in this area is known as a pediatrician or paediatrician...
cardiologist
Cardiology
Cardiology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the heart . The field includes diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease and electrophysiology...
best known for her characterization of a genetic disorder now called Noonan syndrome
Noonan syndrome
Noonan Syndrome is a relatively common autosomal dominant congenital disorder considered to be a type of dwarfism, that affects both males and females equally. It used to be referred to as the male version of Turner's syndrome ; however, the genetic causes of Noonan syndrome and Turner syndrome...
. She was also the original describer of hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome , is a rare congenital heart defect in which the left ventricle of the heart is severely underdeveloped.-Causes:...
.
Biography
Noonan was born October 28, 1928 in Burlington, VermontBurlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
. She studied chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
at Albertus Magnus College
Albertus Magnus College
Albertus Magnus College is a small private liberal arts college in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. It is located about two miles from the central campus of Yale University in a residential area near the border with Hamden. The neighborhood is on Prospect Street just above Edgerton park and...
, medicine at the University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
, and became certified in her field in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in 1956. She subsequently began work at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
. As their first pediatric cardiologist, she noticed that children with a rare type of heart defect called pulmonary valve stenosis
Pulmonary valve stenosis
Pulmonary valve stenosis is a heart valve disorder in which outflow of blood from the right ventricle of the heart is obstructed at the level of the pulmonic valve. This results in the reduction of flow of blood to the lungs. Valvular pulmonic stenosis accounts for 80% of right ventricular outflow...
often had a characteristic physical appearance with short stature, webbed neck, wide-spaced eyes, and low-set ears. She presented her first paper on the subject in 1963, and after several more papers and recognition, the condition was officially named Noonan syndrome in 1971. Dr. Noonan moved on to the fledgling University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
medical school in 1961, where she served for over forty years. An endowed chair in pediatric research has been established in her name, and she is semi-retired as of 2007.