Jamaica Little but wi people Talawa!
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Dr. Simone Badal McCreath — first Caribbean prostate-cancer cell line
The Jamaica Gleaner reports that Badal McCreath, a Jamaican scientist, developed the first prostate-cancer cell line from the Caribbean, ACRJ-PC28, specifically to improve cancer research involving Black populations. Another account expressly says she led the UWI team that created the first Caribbean cancer cell line.
Jamaica Gleaner — After significant breakthrough, J’can scientist not letting up on cancer research -
Dr. Carika Weldon — Caribbean breast-cancer genomic study
Jamaican geneticist Dr. Carika Weldon founded CariGenetics and spearheaded a whole-genome breast-cancer research programme involving Caribbean women. A 2024 report says the study examined 102 participants and identified genetic variants associated with increased breast-cancer risk.
Royal Gazette — New study identifies genes linked to breast cancer -
Dr. Henry Lowe — novel anti-cancer compounds / U.S. patent
The Gleaner reported that Jamaican scientist Henry Lowe received a U.S. patent for a novel family of dicinnamoyl-glycerol ester compounds with anti-cancer activity, developed from research involving Jamaican ball moss. The report describes a Lowe-led biomedical research team.
Jamaica Gleaner — US grants likely cancer cure patent to Jamaican scientist -
Dr. Henry Lowe — leukemia drug development
In a separate development, the Jamaica Observer reported that Lowe and his research team developed Cresorol/Chrysoeriol for acute myeloid leukemia, which received FDA orphan-drug designation. This is a particularly strong example because the underlying compound progressed from Jamaican-led research toward regulatory drug development.
Jamaica Observer — Jamaican scientist makes FDA breakthrough with drug to treat myeloid leukemia -
Dr. Lawrence Williams — alternative anti-inflammatory research assay
The Jamaica Observer reported that Jamaican scientist Dr. Lawrence Williams developed a bovine serum albumin assay intended to reduce or replace some animal testing in anti-inflammatory drug research. Williams said numerous international research institutions had adopted the technique.
Jamaica Observer — Scientific breakthrough? -
Dr. Lawrence Williams — guinea hen weed anti-cancer research
Williams also conducted extensive research on dibenzyl trisulphide from guinea hen weed, ultimately resulting in patents with Jamaican-born physician Dr. George/H.G. Levy involving anti-cancer activity. Jamaica’s FiWi Science programme documents the research and patents.
FiWi Science — Dr. Lawrence Williams profile and research -
Dr. Patrice Smith — nerve regeneration
Jamaican-born neuroscientist Dr. Patrice Smith and colleagues at Harvard discovered a mechanism by which damaged adult nerves could regenerate when SOCS3 was suppressed or absent. The Gleaner specifically described her as a Jamaican-born scientist who had discovered a new approach to repairing damaged nerves.
Jamaica Gleaner — Jamaican-born scientist making strides in nerve research -
Dr. Gavin Jones — chemical recycling of polycarbonate plastics
Jamaican scientist Dr. Gavin Jones and IBM colleague Jeannette Garcia developed a chemical process that converts polycarbonate plastic into a material that prevents BPA from readily leaching. Their work earned recognition among Foreign Policy’s 100 Leading Global Thinkers.
Jamaica Observer — Jamaican scientist creates history -
Joel Sadler — Jaipur Knee
Jamaican engineer Joel Sadler and Eric Thorsell developed the Jaipur Knee, a low-cost prosthetic knee for amputees in developing countries. The Gleaner described Sadler as having “pioneered a major development”; the invention was included among Time magazine’s best inventions of 2009.
Jamaica Gleaner — Magic knee: Poor nations to benefit from Jamaican prosthetic invention -
Professor Manley West and Dr. Albert Lockhart — Canasol
Jamaican researchers Manley West and Albert Lockhart conducted approximately ten years of research that produced Canasol, a cannabis-derived glaucoma medication developed at UWI Mona. It was described as the first eye medication of its kind developed in the Caribbean.
Jamaica Gleaner — Doctors develop first eye medication in the Carib -
Dr. Thomas P. Lecky — Jamaica Hope and other cattle breeds
Jamaican agricultural scientist Thomas Lecky’s breeding research produced the Jamaica Hope, followed by the Jamaica Red, Jamaica Black and Jamaica Brahman cattle breeds. JIS states that his extensive research resulted in Jamaica Hope, the first indigenous Jamaican cattle breed.
Jamaica Information Service — Milk Production Being Promoted at Bodles Research Station -
Professor Paula Tennant — virus-resistant papaya
Jamaican plant scientist Professor Paula Tennant led research into genetically engineered papaya resistant to Papaya Ringspot Virus, an important threat to Jamaica’s papaya industry. UWI records identify Tennant as principal investigator, while JIS credits her disease-resistant papaya variety among major Jamaican innovations.
Jamaica Information Service — Celebrating Jamaican Inventors -
Robert Rashford — portable 3D nondestructive evaluation system
Kingston-born aerospace engineer Robert Rashford and Charles Rivera invented the world’s first portable three-dimensional nondestructive evaluation system, capable of detecting defects in spacecraft, aircraft and pipelines without dismantling them. The technology was used in connection with the Hubble Space Telescope.
Jamaica Information Service — Robert Rashford inventor profile -
Dr. Ingrid Tulloch — methamphetamine-related neural regeneration findings
Jamaican-born neuroscientist Ingrid Tulloch reported research finding that although methamphetamine damages neurons involved in motor learning, new neurons began generating in the affected region during recovery. The Observer’s report describes her experimental research into neural damage, gene function and recovery after meth exposure.
Jamaica Observer — High on drug study -
Dr. Dennis Minott — difference-field oscillometers
Jamaican physicist and mathematician Dennis Minott describes research in which he invented four configurations of difference-field oscillometers while studying weak electromagnetic signals in plasmas. The resulting work generated peer-reviewed papers and contributed to inductive oscillometry.
Jamaica Gleaner — Dennis A. Minott: Extracting signals from noise
- Professor Mercedes Richards — pioneering astronomical tomography
Born in Kingston, Jamaican astrophysicist Mercedes Richards became the first astronomer to image the gravitational flow of gas between stars in an interacting binary system. She also pioneered the application of tomography to Algol-type binary stars and was the first to make theoretical hydrodynamic simulations of those systems. Penn State specifically identifies these as firsts attributable to Richards.
Penn State — Mercedes Richards Receives Musgrave Gold Medal
- Dr. Karen E. Nelson — first major human microbiome study
Jamaican-born microbiologist Karen Nelson led the team that published the first major comprehensive study of the human gut microbiome in 2006. The J. Craig Venter Institute describes the work as a landmark study that changed scientific understanding of the microorganisms living within humans and their relationship to health and disease.
JCVI — Human Microbiome Research Has Massive Potential for Health Applications
- Professor Maydianne Andrade — evolutionary explanation for redback-spider sexual cannibalism
Jamaican-born evolutionary ecologist Maydianne Andrade conducted experiments on Australian redback spiders that helped solve a longstanding evolutionary puzzle: why male spiders appear to facilitate being eaten by females during mating. Cornell reported that her experiments demonstrated an adaptive reproductive advantage to the apparently suicidal behaviour.
Cornell Chronicle — “Extreme” behavior lures Cornell student entomologist to Western Australia
- Sir Geoff Palmer — Barley Abrasion Process
Born in St Elizabeth, Jamaica, Professor Geoff Palmer invented the Barley Abrasion Process, which shortened and improved the malting process used in brewing. The process was patented in 1969 and became widely adopted in the British brewing industry. UWI later highlighted Palmer’s invention as one of the central scientific achievements of his career.
UWI — Tribute to renowned Jamaican-born scientist Sir Geoff Palmer
- Oral and Allison Turner — Sorrel Deseeder/Harvesting Machine
Jamaican inventors Oral and Allison Turner developed a machine that mechanically separates the sorrel calyx from the seed pod, dramatically reducing the labour involved in sorrel processing. Their invention progressed from experimentation and prototypes to commercial manufacturing and international sales.
Jamaica Information Service — Jamaican Inventors Turn Local Sorrel Challenge into Global Solution
- Dr. Peter Nelson — highly sensitive biological metal-ion sensors
Jamaican chemist Peter Nelson and his UWI research group developed lead-sensing electrodes and copper colorimetric sensors capable of detecting extremely small concentrations of metals in biological and physical samples. The work has potential applications in diagnosing Wilson’s disease and detecting toxic heavy-metal exposure.
Jamaica Observer — Jamaica’s top young scientist breaking ground in development of sensors
- Georgia Crawford Williams, Dr. Peter Nelson and Shannon DaCosta — LifeSavers Wipes
A Jamaican team led by Georgia Crawford Williams, with scientists Peter Nelson and Shannon DaCosta, created LifeSavers Wipes, which change colour when exposed to abnormal levels of glucose in urine. The Jamaican-made product won the top global new-product award at the International Design Excellence Awards for innovations produced during 2019–2021.
Jamaica Observer — LifeSavers Wipes wins best new product at global IDEA awards
- Professor Marcia Roye — identification of more than 24 Caribbean plant viruses
Jamaican molecular virologist Marcia Roye led research characterizing more than two dozen geminiviruses affecting Jamaican crops, including tomato, red pea, broad bean, Scotch bonnet pepper and cabbage. UWI says her work was instrumental in developing plant-virus control strategies, including cultivation of resistant tomato and cabbage varieties.
UWI — Dr. Marcia Roye promoted to Professor
- John Henry Thompson — Lingo programming language
Kingston-born computer scientist John Henry Thompson invented the Lingo scripting language, which became central to Macromedia Director and interactive multimedia production during the 1990s. He also invented XObjects, an extension architecture that expanded Director’s capabilities.
Jamaica Observer — Jamaican invents programming language
- Professor Kenneth Magnus — discovery of Monamycin
Jamaican chemist Kenneth Magnus, while a research student at the University College of the West Indies, discovered the antibiotic Monamycin. UWI records state that the compound was subsequently the subject of substantial research and was patented internationally.
UWI Department of Chemistry — history of Cedric Hassall and Kenneth Magnus’s Monamycin research
- Dr. Neil Hanchard — millions of previously unknown African genetic variants
Jamaican physician-geneticist Neil Hanchard was a senior researcher in the H3Africa genome project that sequenced hundreds of genomes from 50 African ethnolinguistic groups. The research uncovered more than three million genetic variants that had not previously been catalogued, along with previously unknown patterns of African migration and ancestry. Nature prominently featured the findings.
STAT — Unprecedented analysis underlines past failures to study African genomes
- Dr. Tyrone Grandison — pioneering database privacy technology
Jamaican computer scientist Tyrone Grandison led IBM research that pioneered methods for privacy-preserving database management, including techniques allowing privacy protection at the database level without crippling system performance and privacy-compliant querying across distributed RFID and mobile databases. IEEE recognized him specifically for pioneering contributions to secure and private data management.
IEEE Computer Society — Tyrone Grandison Technical Achievement profile
- Dr. Evan Dale Abel — metabolic mechanisms of diabetes and heart disease
Jamaican-born endocrinologist Evan Dale Abel has led major research into insulin signalling, mitochondrial dysfunction, diabetic cardiomyopathy, thrombosis and heart failure associated with diabetes. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences describes his work as pioneering and credits him with elucidating important mitochondrial and metabolic mechanisms underlying cardiovascular disease in diabetes.
National Academy of Sciences — Evan Dale Abel
- George Winston Whitfield and Howard Martin Chin — magnetic gearbox system
Jamaican inventors George Winston Whitfield and Howard Martin Chin developed and patented a magnetic gearbox using sequential magnetic interaction rather than conventional physical gear contact. The invention was considered sufficiently novel that the inventors subsequently approached NASA concerning possible aerospace applications.
Jamaica Observer — NASA considering potential rocket parts invented by two Jamaicans
- Dr. Cicely Williams — identification and scientific description of kwashiorkor
Westmoreland-born Jamaican physician Cicely Williams carried out the seminal clinical work distinguishing kwashiorkor as a specific childhood nutritional disease, rather than the conditions with which it had previously been confused. She published her findings, developed a protein-rich feeding regime, and later became a major international authority on maternal and child nutrition.
Jamaica Gleaner — Dr Cicely Williams puts Jamaica on medical map
A useful distinction is emerges in this list. Some are not merely “Jamaicans who became successful scientists abroad.” We now have several examples in which the Jamaican was demonstrably the originator of the invention or first observer/developer of the scientific technique or finding:
- Richards — first astronomical application of tomography to these binary systems.
- Nelson — led the landmark early human-microbiome study.
- Palmer — invented the Barley Abrasion Process.
- Thompson — invented Lingo.
- Magnus — discovered Monamycin.
- Williams — distinguished and described kwashiorkor.
- Turners — invented the sorrel-processing machine.
- Whitfield/Chin — invented the magnetic gearbox.
- Andrade — produced the experimental explanation for redback sexual cannibalism.
- Roye — identified numerous previously uncharacterized Caribbean plant viruses.
That makes the list considerably stronger than a generic collection of “Jamaican scientists.”