Women in Medicine & Sciences Feature: Mary Aitken, MD
Each month, the Women Faculty Forum presents its Women in Medicine and Sciences Feature, highlighting the women faculty at McGovern Medical School who are leaders in medicine, research, and education.
This month’s feature is Mary Aitken, MD, professor and chair, and Dan L. Duncan, Distinguished University Chair in Pediatrics.
What is your background? When did you join UTHealth Houston?
I am originally Canadian but have lived all over the United States growing up. I attended the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill for both college and medical school, then went to Baltimore, Maryland, for pediatric residency at Johns Hopkins. After residency, I had amazing opportunities to travel and work in New Zealand, Bermuda, and the UK for several years, which was a great experience.
I settled down with an academic pediatrics fellowship and MPH in epidemiology at the University of Washington in Seattle and the Harborview Injury Prevention Research Center. At the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children’s Hospital, I was able to pursue an academic career in general pediatrics, focusing on injury prevention, before joining UTHealth Houston in October 2019.
What inspired you to pursue a career in science and medicine?
I was attracted to medicine to combine interests in community service and science early and had wonderful physician role models during my childhood and college. I did work for a year doing economics research at a research think tank, and this confirmed that medical school was the right path!
What are your current clinical and/or research interests?
I am a general pediatrician with sustained interests in health promotion for children. My main focus has been prevention of injuries, the leading cause of death and disability for children in the United States. I collaborate with a team of faculty in pediatrics and public health building a program in injury and violence prevention.
As chair, I have sponsored the development of a pediatric population health program that is addressing non-medical drivers of health and building research infrastructure in the department.
Who are your role models?
I have had the great fortune to be trained by great pediatricians who are also great people, including Tom Boat at UNC, Frank Oski and Cathy DeAngelis at Johns Hopkins, and Fred Rivara in Seattle. Debby Fiser hired me for my first faculty position at UAMS and was a great chair and later dean. As pioneer in pediatric critical care and outcomes research, she has been a key mentor and role model as a woman leader, demonstrating how to successfully balance a productive academic career with a busy and happy family life.
What do you enjoy most about working at UTHealth Houston?
UTHealth Houston’s collaborative and supportive environment was key to my joining the institution, and this impression has been reinforced throughout the past four years. The Department of Pediatrics, with its strong tradition of excellence in clinical care and training, is in a dynamic stage of growth and that motivates me daily.
How do you think UTHealth Houston can further support female faculty?
Early and focused professional and leadership development is particularly important for women, who may underestimate their leadership abilities and preparedness for advancement. Mentorship and training can provide both skills and confidence, and in Pediatrics we have several recent programs in place to ensure that junior faculty have the tools and guidance they need.
We can do more to support women as parents through improved facilities for breastfeeding, seeking ways to provide flexibility where feasible, and ensuring that UTHealth resources expand benefits to support young families.