Frances Oldham Kelsey
Frances Kathleen Oldham Kelsey CM (née Oldham; July 24, 1914 – August 7, 2015) was a Canadian-American pharmacologist and physician. As a reviewer for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), she refused to authorize thalidomide for market because she had concerns about the lack of evidence regarding the drug's safety. Her concerns proved to be justified when it was shown that thalidomide caused serious birth defects. Kelsey's career intersected with the passage of laws strengthening FDA oversight of pharmaceuticals. Kelsey was the second woman to receive the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service, awarded to her by John F. Kennedy in 1962.
Frances Oldham Kelsey CM | |
|---|---|
| Born | Frances Kathleen Oldham July 24, 1914 Cobble Hill, British Columbia, Canada |
| Died | August 7, 2015 (aged 101) London, Ontario, Canada |
| Citizenship |
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| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Pharmacologist |
| Known for | Preventing thalidomide from being marketed in the United States |
| Spouse |
Fremont Ellis Kelsey
(m. 1943; died 1966) |
| Children | 2 |
| Medical career | |
| Field | Physician |
| Awards | President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service (1962) |
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