Neena Betty Schwartz (born December 10, 1926) is an American
endocrinologist and William Deering Professor of Endocrinology
Emerita in the Department of Neurobiology at
Northwestern University. She is best known for her work on female
reproductive biology and the regulation of
hormonal signaling pathways, particularly for the discovery of the signaling hormone
inhibin. Schwartz has been an active
feminist advocate for women in science throughout her career; she was a founding member of the
Association for Women in Science organization in 1971 and shared the founding presidency with
Judith Pool. She also co-founded the Women in Endocrinology group under the auspices of the
Endocrine Society, served terms as the president of the Endocrine Society and the Society for the Study of Reproduction, and has been recognized for her exceptional mentorship of women scientists. In 2010, she wrote a memoir of her life in science,
A Lab of My Own, in which she
came out as
lesbian.