The physiology or medicine prize for Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman recognized work that led to the development of vaccines that were administered to billions around the world.

The physiology or medicine prize for Hungarian and American Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman recognized work that led to the development of vaccines that were administered to billions around the world.

  • Poutinetown@lemmy.ca
    111·
    1 year ago

    Very well deserved award. Her sharp focus on mRNA through many years, even without the support of academic institutions, allowed her to achieve the breakthroughs needed to develop the new gen of vaccines. Per the NYT article:

    But for many years her career at the University of Pennsylvania was fragile. She migrated from lab to lab, relying on one senior scientist after another to take her in. She never made more than $60,000 a year. Dr. Kariko’s struggles to stay afloat in academia have a familiar ring to scientists. She needed grants to pursue ideas that seemed wild and fanciful. She did not get them, even as more mundane research was rewarded.