Marilyn Hughes Gaston

Marilyn Hughes Gaston is a pioneering physician and public health leader best known for transforming sickle-cell research and care in the United States. In the 1990s, she became the first African American woman to direct a U.S. Public Health Service bureau, where she led major national initiatives to expand healthcare access for underserved communities. Her leadership helped implement the landmark Sickle Cell Anemia Act of 1993, broaden newborn screening programs, and strengthen federal support for minority health. Gaston’s work in this decade cemented her legacy as a champion for equitable, community-centered healthcare.