Mary Bernheim
1902-1997
Mary Bernheim (“Molly”) was born Mary Hare in 1902 in Gloucester, England though she spent her childhood in India. She received a BA, MA, and PhD from the University of Cambridge in England.
In 1928, while doing her doctorate research, she discovered the enzyme tyramine oxidase. Eventually renamed monoamine oxidase (MAO), the enzyme was later found to play a significant role in mood regulation. She also married Dr. Frederick Bernheim in 1928 who would later become a Nobel-nominated researcher in pharmacology.
Drs. Frederick and Mary Bernheim were both appointed as members of the original faculty of the Duke Medical School in 1932. Dr. Mary Bernheim, who eventually became a full professor in the Department of Biochemistry, was often the lone woman in the department.
While at Duke, she continued her study of liver enzymes and nitrogen-containing compounds and published over sixty papers. She taught nutrition courses as well as biochemistry courses and was far ahead of trends in warning against eating fat and fad diets.
In honor of Dr. Mary Bernheim’s discovery, the CIBA Foundation held a symposium in 1975 and published, Monoamine Oxidase and Its Inhibitors, a book of papers of papers. Dr. Theodore Slotkin, Duke Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, has referred to her discovery as “one of the seminal discoveries in twentieth century neurobiology.”
An avid gardener and naturalist, Dr. Bernheim also became an enthusiastic aviator and compiled a book about the subject called A Sky of My Own, which was nominated in 1959 by the North Carolina Board of Award for literary competitions. When she passed away at the age of 95, she was the last surviving member of the original faculty of the Duke Medical School.
Interview
In this interview, Dr. Irwin Fridovich talks about Dr. Molly Bernheim. This oral history interview was conducted with Dr. Fridovich on October 10, 2007 by Jessica Roseberry.