Katalin Kariko became the 62nd Nobel Prize Winner in the field of Medicine. The biochemist shared this honour with her colleague Drew Weissman for the development of effective COVID-19 vaccine.
Katalin Kariko is a Hungarian scientist who has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She has been given this huge honour along with her co-scientist Drew Weissman for their 2005 paper on nucleoside base modifications. Their paper enabled the development of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. The duo’s 200 research work got little attention when it was published. However, their discovery led to the approval of 2 successful mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines that saved millions of lives.
Katalin Kariko’s Phenomenal Contribution to Develop COVID Vaccine
The American biochemist has become the newest addition to join the ranks of the numbered women who have won arguably this honour. Born in 1955 in Szolnok, Dr. Kario received her PhD from Szeged University in 1982 and performed postdoctoral research at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Szeged until 1985. Later, she became a professor at Szeged University and an Adjunct teacher at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
During the COVID-19 Outbreak, time became crucial in finding a weapon against the deadly and fast-spreading virus. This is where mRNA technology proved right to treat the infection. The technology had been known since the 1980s but was never implemented in the right setup. Kariko and Weissman faced numerous challenges, including skepticism from the scientific community and a lack of funding when they started. However, they remained steadfast in the potential of mRNA as a therapeutic tool.
Katalin Kariko Scripts History to Win 62nd Nobel Prize in Medicine
Their tremendous work has not only provided a powerful weapon in the fight against COVID-19 but also opened new possibilities for treating other diseases. “The findings by 2023 Nobel Prize laureates Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman led to the approval of two highly successful mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines in late 2020. The vaccines have saved millions of lives and prevented severe disease in many more,” the Nobel Assembly said.
From 1901 to 2023, The 68-year-old biochemist has been awarded the Nobel Prize 62 times. The scientist created a remarkable history as she became the maximum female holder of Nobel Prizes with her outstanding contribution. This year, Dr. Kariko became the 13th woman to win the honour in the same field.
India.com congratulate Dr Katalin Kario And Dr Drew Weissman For Their Remarkable Win!