Ida S. Owens
On this date in 1929, Ida Stephens Owens was born. She was a Black biochemist and researcher.
She was born in Newark, New Jersey, and received a Ph.D. in Biology-Physiology from Duke University in 1967. At the National Institutes of Health (NIH), biochemist Dr. Owens conducted studies on the genetics of detoxification enzymes. This research shed light on how the human body defends itself against poison.
Owens was with the Genetic Disorders of Drug Metabolism Section, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD. She also received the 1992 NIH Director's Award and, in 2013, the Duke University Graduate School's first Distinguished Alumni Award.
Ida Stephens Owens died on February 24, 2020.
