Kincaid-Smith, Priscilla (1926-2015), a South African-born doctor, is known for her work as a nephrologist. Nephrology is the branch of medicine that deals with the kidneys . Kincaid-Smith has made important contributions to the treatment of kidney disease in Australia .
Priscilla Sheath Kincaid-Smith was born on Oct. 30, 1926, in Johannesburg, South Africa . She studied medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand , where she received a medical degree in 1950. Beginning in 1953, Kincaid-Smith studied pathology (the branch of medicine that deals with disease) in London, England. She conducted research on the connection between hypertension (high blood pressure) and kidney disease. She married the Australian physician Ken Fairley in 1958, and they settled in Melbourne , Australia. She at first encountered great difficulty continuing her career because married women were prohibited from working in public institutions in Australia until 1966. Her research demonstrated that the overuse of certain analgesics (drugs that relieve pain) could damage the kidneys.
In 1967, Kincaid-Smith became director of nephrology at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, where she established a kidney transplant program. In 1975, she was named Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her contributions to medicine. In 1989, she was named Companion of the Order of Australia . She retired in 1991 and died on July 18, 2015.
