Lu Gwei-djen

Lu began her distinguished career teaching biochemistry at the Women's Medical College in Shanghai between 1928-30, then moved to teach at the Medical School at St John's University, Shanghai between 1930-33. She then took up a post as Research Assistant at the Henry Lester Institute for Medical Research, Shanghai from 1933-37.[3]

In 1938, she came to the UK for a year's postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge under Dorothy M. Needham, as a research student at Newnham College.[4]

In 1939, during World War II, she took up a post as Research Fellow at the Institute of Experimental Biochemistry, University of California, Berkeley, and at the Harriman Research Lab, San Francisco, from 1939-41. She moved to the Hillman Hospital, Birmingham, Alabama from 1941-42, and then to the International Cancer Research Foundation, Philadelphia, from 1942-45.[5]

In 1945, she joined the Needhams in Chongqing as a consultant for nutrition at the Co-operation office and in 1948, moved to Paris to work at UNESCO at the secretariat for natural sciences.[6]

From 1947 onwards, she was a Research Fellow of the Wellcome Medical Foundation, working with Dr Joseph Needham in Cambridge on the 'Science & Civilisation in China' project.[7]

She was a Foundation Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge.[8]

Among the work on which she is credited as co-author are:

• Celestial Lancets: A History and Rationale of Acupuncture and Moxa (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1980)
• Science and Civilisation in China Volume 4 Physics and Physical Technology Part III: Civil Engineering and Nautics (Cambridge: University Press, 1971 ISBN 0521070600)
• Vol. 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology: Pt. V: Spagyrical discovery and invention : physiological alchemy (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983).
• The Hall of Heavenly Records: Korean Astronomical Instruments and Clocks, 1380-1780, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). ISBN 978-0521616980
• Gwei-Djen Lu, 1951. A contribution to the history of Chinese dietetics, ASIN: B0007KGH96

The Lu Gwei-Djen Prize for the History of Science awarded by Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge is named in her honour[9] as is the Lu Gwei Djen Research Fellowship awarded by Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge - a position currently held by biophysicist Dr Eileen Nugent.[10]

The daughter of a pharmacist,[6] she was well known as Needham's long-time collaborator, co-author, Chinese language teacher and his second wife.[11]

• Winchester, Simon (2008). The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-088459-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) Also published as Gun, Book and Compass.
• Wang, Guozhong (1999). 魯桂珍與李約瑟 Lu Guizhen yu Li Yuese (Lu Guizhen and Joseph Needham). Guiyang: Guizhou People's Press. pp. 1–29, 231–236. ISBN 7-221-04546-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)