Pinn, Vivian W. (1941-)

Born in Halifax, Virginia, in 1941, Pinn grew up in a world that was still defined by segregation and offered limited professional opportunities to a woman of color. Despite this, Pinn knew she wanted to be a doctor from an early age.

After earning her undergraduate degree from Wellesley College, Pinn sought her medical doctorate at the University of Virginia Medical School in 1963. While there, she was the only woman and only Black student in her class. After graduating in 1967, she did her post graduate training in Pathology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. She then served as a faculty member at Tufts University Medical School, where she later became the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. Pinn split her time between research and mentorship, advocating to increase opportunities for the advancement of minority students.

In 1982, Pinn moved to Washington, D.C., to become the chair of the Department of Pathology at Howard University School of Medicine. She was the first Black woman to chair a pathology department in the United States.

Pinn was named the first Director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health in 1991 by NIH Director Dr. Bernadine Healy. In this role, Pinn not only defined ORWH’s role within NIH but also shaped women’s health research nationwide. She formed ORWH’s research agenda, helped coordinate women’s health research across all NIH Institutes and Centers, and created landmark programs that still exist today, including Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) and the Specialized Centers of Research Excellence (SCORE) on Sex Differences.

Although Pinn stepped down from her role as Director of ORWH in 2011, she has continued to advocate for women’s health and opportunities for female scientists.