A Woman of Science

In 1957, fresh out of the University of Pennsylvania with a biology degree, she started as a lab technician at The Wistar Institute, working alongside Drs. Hilary Koprowski and Stanley Plotkin as their teams investigated a potential polio vaccine.

“She found it invigorating to be around so many smart people who were doing such interesting and vital work,” explains her son, Saul Janson. “It was the first time that she was out on her own – a woman in the 1950s pursuing her interests professionally, working as a colleague to all these accomplished and dynamic people. I think it really affected her.”

After working at Wistar for four years, Barbara went on to ger her master’s degree in education, eventually teaching at Delaware County Community College for more than 35 years. She also penned two books on human anatomy and medical terminology, something that Wistar’s namesake, Dr. Caspar Wistar, an anatomy teacher and author of the first-ever US textbook on anatomy, would have fully supported.

Her time at Wistar may have only lasted four years, but Barbara’s passion for science and the belief that Wistar was doing important work is something that permeated her entire life. It made such an impact, in fact, that she made a major financial gift to Wistar prior to her passing in 2021 to help support future discoveries.

“I don’t think people appreciate the importance of basic research,” explains Janson, who has himself become a supporter of the Institute, continuing his mother’s legacy. “We need to get to the point where more people understand that it’s worth investing in, for the greater good.”

Saul, a member of Wistar’s President’s Society of annual donors and 1892 Legacy Society of donors who have made a provision for Wistar in their estate plans, feels a connection with his mother when he’s supporting Wistar Science. “I want to continue that legacy,” he explains. “I want to assist Wistar with its work, which has become very important to me because it was so important to my mom.”

If you’re interested in learning more about how you can leave a legacy at Wistar, please visit our Legacy Giving page.