William Warrick Cardozo: Sickle Cell Anemia

William Warrick Cardozo was one of the great pioneers of the medical world. He was an expert on Sickle Cell anemia. He made it a point to study and try to understand the effects it has in the body especially people of African American dissent. Cardozo was born in 1905 on April 16th In Washington, D.C.

He came from a well to do family which consisted of his Father who was a prominent High School principle and his Grandfather who was a well known politician. Cardozo first attended Hampton Institute of Virginia. He earned his A.B. in 1929 and his M.D. at the University of Ohio In 1933. He was awarded a fellowship in 1935 at the Children’s Memorial Hospital and Provident Hospital. This is where he began his extensive research into Sickle Cell anemia.

Cardozo noticed a pattern in the people who were affected by this disease. He concluded from much of his studies that not all people who had Sickle Cell were anemic and that sickle cell was not necessarily fatal in all cases. He noticed that it was mostly found in individuals from an African dissent and that it was largely inherited. These conclusions are still very much valid today. He published one of his studies in Internal Medicine archives, “Immunologic Studies in Sickle Cell Anemia”.

Cardozo opened his own private practice in Washington D.C. in 1937 and became an instructor in Pediatrics department at Freedman University and Howard University College of Medicine. He was later promoted to a clinical assistant position. Cardozo presented and wrote several articles and abstracts on Sickle Cell Anemia. He also studied and wrote on several disorders including Hodgkin’s disease and gastrointestinal disease. He researched and studied on the early growth and development of African American children. He founded the Alpha Omega Alpha Honorary society and for more than 24 years he served as an inspector for Columbia Board of Health district. Cardozo passed away from massive failure in August 11, 1962 in Washington, D.C.

Aetna, one of the largest health care insurance providers actually has tribute to Cardozo. It commemorates his achievements and acknowledges that his time and commitment into fully understanding Sickle Cell has helped other scientists delve further into how to find a cure for this disease.