Georgios Nickolaou Papanicolaou was a Greek-American doctor who studied the structure, function and chemistry of cells.
Papanicolaou was born May 13, 1883 - 131 years ago today. He earned his medical degree from the University of Athens in 1904 and emigrated to the United States with his wife in 1913.
After arriving in America, Papanicolaou became a medical assistant in New York and turned to research. He discovered that cancer of the cervix can be detected by smearing mucus secretions on a microscope slide, and examining the stained cells for abnormalities.
He recognized it as a low-cost, easily performed screening test for the early detection of cancer. He announced his technique at a 1928 medical conference. It was initially received with skepticism, but its widespread use began in the early 1950s.
Today, the Papanicolaou test, or “Pap test,” is a routine screening for cancer in women.
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