1899-1973

British chemist who developed DES (diethylstilbestrol) and synthesized some of the sex hormones. DES, given to mothers for 30 years to help them with some of the complications of pregnancy, was later found to cause some very specific birth defects in the children of these women. For that reason, it was banned in most nations, although it has lately been prescribed for some conditions in non-pregnant women. In addition to DES, Dodds's work in synthetic sex hormones was important in the development of the birth control pill.