Nationality: Hungarian-American

Date of birth: January 17, 1955

Top five achievements:

1. Pioneered mRNA technology
Karikó’s research unlocked the potential of messenger RNA (mRNA) to instruct cells to produce proteins, which is the foundation for a new class of medicines.
2. Enabled COVID-19 vaccines
Her work contributed to the development of life-saving vaccines like Pfizer -BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
3. Nobel Prize Winner (2023)
She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries that enabled effective mRNA vaccines.
4. Overcame scientific rejection
For years, her ideas were dismissed, funding was denied, and positions were downgraded – but she continued her research with persistence.
5. Opened doors for future medicines
Her work is now driving innovations in cancer treatments, vaccines for other diseases, and personalised medicine.

Her work’s impact:

• Helped save millions of lives during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Accelerated research in immunology and genetic medicine
• Inspired a new generation of scientists to challenge conventional thinking