© 2026 ABC News

Oriuwa, 27, is a psychiatry resident at the University of Toronto. She has spoken out against system racism in health care as well as a rise in online racism.

In an Instagram post, Oriuwa said, \"It’s surreal to think that I was once playing with my Barbie dolls and dressing them up like doctors, poets and performers and imagining that I could be those things one day — and now I am!\"

\"PHOTO:
Mattel
PHOTO: Jaqueline Goés de Jesus holds the Barbie doll made in her likeness.
>

Goes de Jesus is a biomedical researcher and post-doctoral fellow for the CADDE Project. She led the sequencing of the genome of a COVID-19 variant in Brazil.

\"PHOTO:
Mattel
PHOTO: Kirby White holds the Barbie doll made in her likeness.
>

White is a general practitioner and co-founded Gowns for Doctors when the pandemic caused a nationwide shortage of PPE in Australia. The project aims to provide doctors with the necessary protective gowns they need to work and developed a washable and reusable gown to that end.

Mattel also announced that it will donate $5 for each eligible Barbie doctor, nurse and paramedic doll sold at Target to the First Responders Children’s Foundation, which provides financial support to children who’ve lost a parent in the line of duty.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Family/astrazeneca-creator-pandemic-heroes-honored-barbie-dolls/story?id=79265536","legacySlug":"/family/story/astrazeneca-creator-pandemic-heroes-honored-barbie-dolls-79265536","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"19:20","publishDate":"08-04-2021","updatedTime":"19:20","updatedDate":"08-04-2021","socialImage":{"alt":"Mattel is honoring six women who made a difference in their communities during the pandemic by creating Barbie dolls made in their likeness.","credit":"Mattel","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/barbie-doll-covid-pandemic-06x-ht-llr-210804_1628103652122_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"8/4/2021 19:20:17 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":79265536,"headline":"AstraZeneca co-creator honored with Barbie doll","mediaAssetTitle":"GMA BARBIE","description":"The dolls are a part of the company's #ThankYouHeroes program.","duration":"2:27","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/03/190304_gma_digital_barbie_60_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["75610621","73502169","77754542"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"story","date":"February 1, 2021","headline":"Barbie's 2021 Fashionistas launch features a diverse lineup of dolls","section":"style","slug":"/style/story/barbies-2021-fashionistas-launch-features-diverse-lineup-dolls-75610621","id":75610621,"image":{"alt":"Barbie's 2021 Fashionistas launch features a diverse lineup of dolls","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/Barbie2021Fashionistas_1612193213526_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Mattel","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"October 8, 2020","headline":"Barbie reaches millions as she tackles racism in viral message","section":"living","slug":"/living/story/barbie-reaches-millions-tackles-talk-racism-viral-message-73502169","id":73502169,"image":{"alt":"Barbie reaches millions as she tackles racism in viral message","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/barbie-youtube-racism-conversation-ht-MAIN-np-201008_1602181411820_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Mattel","ratio":"1x1"}},{"contentType":"story","date":"May 19, 2021","headline":"Barbie adds Helen Keller to Inspiring Women doll lineup","section":"family","slug":"/family/story/barbie-adds-helen-keller-inspiring-women-doll-lineup-77754542","id":77754542,"image":{"alt":"Barbie adds Helen Keller to Inspiring Women doll lineup","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/barbie-ht-ml-210518_1621356129822_hpMain_4x3t_240.jpg","credit":"Mattel","ratio":"1x1"}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"AstraZeneca co-creator honored with Barbie doll","description":"The dolls are a part of the company's #ThankYouHeroes program.","duration":"2:27","uploadDate":"08-04-2021","publication":"08-04-2021","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/03/190304_gma_digital_barbie_60_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/03/190304_gma_digital_barbie_60_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/family/story/astrazeneca-creator-pandemic-heroes-honored-barbie-dolls-79265536"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131142257","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131046664","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131048076","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131033212","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:family:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"family","title":"AstraZeneca co-creator honored with Barbie doll","pubTime":"15:20","pubDate":"08-04-2021","modTime":"15:20","modDate":"08-04-2021","taxonomyTags":"none","id":79265536,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"AstraZeneca co-creator honored with Barbie doll","mediaAssetTitle":"GMA BARBIE","videoId":79265536,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/family/story/astrazeneca-creator-pandemic-heroes-honored-barbie-dolls-79265536"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/79265536","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/79265536","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};