Dr. Janet Elizabeth Lane-Claypon was a pioneering British epidemiologist and physician who made foundational contributions to the science of epidemiological research in the early 20th century. Born on February 3, 1877, in Boston, Lincolnshire, she earned her science doctorate in 1905 and became the first woman to receive a scholarship from the British Medical Association. After conducting initial research at University College London on female reproductive physiology, she expanded her focus to broader public health questions and methodology development. In 1916, she was appointed dean of King's College for Women, marking a significant achievement before returning to research, and following her marriage to Sir Edward Rodolph Forber in 1929, she continued her groundbreaking work while residing in Seaford until her death on July 17, 1967.
Dr. Lane-Claypon pioneered the retrospective cohort study design in her 1912 investigation comparing weight gain in breastfed versus formula-fed infants, where she systematically analyzed data for sampling variation and confounding factors while employing Student's t-test in epidemiological research for the first time. She further revolutionized epidemiological methodology by developing the case-control study approach, conducting one of the first such studies in 1926 when Neville Chamberlain, as Minister of Health, commissioned her to investigate breast cancer causes. Her meticulous comparison of 500 breast cancer patients with 500 matched controls across multiple hospitals revealed critical risk factors including childlessness, later age at marriage, and lack of breastfeeding, while demonstrating that risk decreased with the number of children. These findings established methodological principles that remain fundamental to epidemiological research design, with her original data reanalyzed as recently as 2010 confirming the validity of her conclusions.
Dr. Lane-Claypon's methodological innovations established cornerstones of modern epidemiological practice, with her systematic approach to study design and recognition of confounding factors shaping research protocols for generations of public health investigators. Though recognition of her contributions was delayed, contemporary epidemiologists now acknowledge her as a true pioneer whose work on breast cancer and infant nutrition has stood the test of time. Her legacy continues through the Janet Lane-Claypon Building at the University of Lincoln, which honors her contributions in her birth county, and through the continued application of the epidemiological methods she pioneered. A 2004 review in the American Journal of Epidemiology formally recognized her three seminal contributions to the field, cementing her historical position as one of the most important figures in the development of scientific epidemiology.
