Catharine Macfarlane

Catharine Macfarlane (1877–1969) was an American obstetrician and gynecologist who founded one of the first screening centers for uterine cancer in the United States. She was the first woman fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, and the first woman president of the Obstetrical Society of Philadelphia.

Education At the age of sixteen, Catherine Macfarlane entered the University of Philadelphia in 1893 and earned her Bachelor of Science in biology in 1895. This same year she attended the first Pennsylvania State Conference on Birth Control alongside Margaret Sanger to advocate for women's right to vote and obtain birth control. In 1951, Macfarlane was jointly awarded the Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research for her applications of preventive medicine to cancer control. In 1953, Macfarlane was awarded the first annual Mary Silberman Award for her work on cancer prevention.