Pearl Dunlevy

Dr Pearl Dunlevy (13 August 1909 – 3 June 2002), was an Irish physician and epidemiologist working on TB and was the first woman president of the Biological Society of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland.

Early life and career Born to George Dunlevy and Maggie Doherty, in Mountcharles, County Donegal, Bridget Margaret Mary Dunlevy, known as Pearl, was one of six children. She was the second youngest and had four brothers and a sister. She was educated in the Loreto Convent, St Stephen's Green, Dublin well as St. Louis Convent in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan. Dunlevy studied medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and graduated in 1932 coming first in the exams. She was a student of Sir Thomas Myles.

Moving to the UK Dunlevy worked in a number of British hospitals: 1932–1933 House physician, Eye Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1933 House physician and surgeon, Nuneaton General Hospital 1933-1934 Resident surgical officer, Birmingham Children's Hospital 1934 Medical officer, Sydenham Children's Hospital, London 1934–1935 House surgeon, Standon Hall Orthopaedic Hospital, Staffordshire.

Tuberculosis in Children Returning to Ireland in 1936 Dunlevy graduated in first place from University College Dublin with a diploma in public health and was appointed temporary assistant county medical officer of health in Donegal. After two years she was appointed assistant medical officer of health in Dublin. While in Dublin Dunlevy was resident at Crooksling tuberculosis sanatorium where she gained substantial experience in the treatment and control of childhood Tuberculosis (TB) cases. In 1945 Dunlevy established the Primary TB clinic in Dublin at the Carnegie Trust Child Welfare Centre in Lord Edward Street. The aim was to identify children with TB and begin to treat them in such a way as to reduce the amount of time they spent in sanatoria. In part this was due to a shortage of beds.

Later career During her role as senior assistant chief medical officer in the Dublin Health Authority infectious diseases gradually receded. One of the last major schemes in which she was involved was the rubella vaccination program beginning in 1971. Another was the combined diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine. The trials for the combined vaccine has since gained notoriety due to the lack of consent obtained for children who took part in the trials and were in state institutions at the time. Dunlevy went on, in 1971 until her retirement in 1976 to work as the deputy chief medical officer in the Eastern Health Board.

Dunlevy was now an international expert in childhood epidemiology and published papers in the British Medical Journal, the Journal of the Medical Association of Éire, the Irish Journal of Medical Science, and the Journal of the Irish Medical Association. Once retired Dunlevy wrote a regular column for the Irish Medical Times.

Dunlevy was deeply involved in the associations related to her expertise. She was president of the Biological Society of the RCSI in 1952, president of the Irish Society for Medical Officers of Health, and on the committee of the 'women's federation' of the Irish Medical Association. She was a member (1978) and fellow (1980) of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI), a member of the faculty of community medicine of the RCPI, and a fellow of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Ireland (RAMI).

Personal life Dunlevy's elder sister Annie ('Nan') Josephine Dunlevy (1903–88), also graduated from the RCSI and practised as a psychiatrist in Donegal and Dublin. She also lectured in anatomy at the RCSI. She lived for many years at various Dublin addresses with her sister. She was the aunt of museum curator and costume expert Mairéad Dunlevy.

Dunlevy had a long time companion Kathleen Hughes. She died 3 June 2002 in Dublin, and was buried in Shanganagh Cemetery.