The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the year 2023 has been granted to Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman. It was awarded for its groundbreaking research in nucleoside base modifications. It paved the way for the creation of highly effective mRNA vaccines against Covid-19.
“Through their groundbreaking findings, which have fundamentally changed our understanding of how mRNA interacts with our immune system, the laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times,” the Nobel Assembly said in its announcement.
The prestigious award is given annually by the Nobel Assembly consisting of 50 professors at Karolinska Institutet. It is awarded to scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of medicine for the benefit of humankind.
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Nobel Prize: Celebrating Remarkable Achievements in Physiology or Medicine
Katalin Karik was born in 1955 in Szolnok. She is a Professor at Szeged University. And an Adjunct Professor at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, Drew Weissman is a Roberts Family Professor in Vaccine Research and Director of the Penn Institute for RNA Innovations.
So far, 113 Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine have been awarded since 1901 of which 12 have been given to women. The youngest medicine laureate ever is Frederick G. Banting, who was awarded the 1923 Medicine Prize for discovering insulin at 32.
Looking back at the previous year, the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Swedish geneticist Svante Paabo. Paabo, who directs the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. He was recognised for his groundbreaking work in extracting and analysing DNA from ancient bones, particularly those of Neanderthals.
His research has significantly advanced our understanding of extinct hominins and human evolution.
The Nobel Prize announcements are a highly anticipated event every October, with committees convening in Stockholm and Oslo to reveal the laureates.
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