Praskovya Vasilyevna Tsyklinskaya

Praskovya Vasilyevna Tsyklinskaya (1859-1923), the first Russian woman professor-bacteriologist. After completing gymnasium, she was a primary school teacher for 6 years, after which she attended the physics and mathematics faculty of the Bestuzhev Courses; after graduating (1889), she went to Paris to continue her education. With great difficulty, she obtained the right to enroll in the first bacteriology courses at the Pasteur Institute, directed by Roux, Laveran, and Metchnikoff. After completing these courses, she remained at the institute and conducted scientific work under Metchnikoff's supervision for 3 years. Returning to Russia, she joined the newly founded Gabrichevsky Bacteriological Institute of Moscow University, taking the modest position of preparator. In 1902, after passing doctoral exams and defending her dissertation at the University of Geneva, she received the degree of Doctor of Natural Sciences. In 1908, she was elected head of the bacteriology department of the medical faculty of the former Moscow Higher Women's Courses (now the 2nd Medical Institute), a position she held until the end of her life, while simultaneously working at the Gabrichevsky Institute. For her work in the field of medical microbiology, she received in 1917 from Moscow University the degree of Doctor of Medicine honoris causa; author of a large number of works on various issues of general and medical microbiology.