Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman win Nobel Prize in Medicine 2023

The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their discoveries concerning modifications of nucleoside bases that enable the development of mRNA vaccines. Their work paved the way for a very quick development of an effective vaccine against Covid-19.

Katalin Karikó, a 68-year-old Hungarian researcher, is the thirteenth woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Medicine. In 2021, Katalin Karikó was invited to open the academic year at Humanitas University. On that occasion, Prof. Karikó received the University’s first honorary degree in Medicine “in consideration of her extraordinary contribution to the study and development of a new generation of vaccines based on innovative mRNA technology, including the anti-Covid-19 vaccine, further confirming the value of integrating medical knowledge and technological applications”.

Maria Rescigno    Pro-Rector for Research at Humanitas University, said during the Laudatio: “I was lucky enough to attend a seminar held by Dr Karikó at the University of Cambridge. After the seminar, she said something really important: people who work in science work for the pleasure of making new discoveries, of understanding the biological processes. Curiosity drives our work, regardless how difficult it is to reach these results”.