Nobel Prize In Physiology Or Medicine 2023: The 2023 Nobel Prize In Physiology Or Medicine was jointly awarded to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman for their discoveries that enabled the development of mRNA vaccines against Covid-19.


Every year, the Physiology or Medicine Nobel is announced first in the Nobel series, which includes six prizes. Swedish geneticist Svante Pääbo won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his pioneering work in the genetic analysis of Neanderthals and Denisovans, the extinct relatives of human beings or Homo sapiens. He received the award “for his discoveries concerning the genome of extinct hominins and human evolution". 


Pääbo’s work led to the development of a new branch of science called paleogenomics, or the genetic study of extinct species. He also discovered a previously unknown hominin, Denisova. Hominins are the extinct ancestors of humans. 


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The 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was jointly awarded to David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian for "their discoveries of  receptors for temperature and touch".


Their discoveries led to the identification of additional temperature-sensing receptors, which are important for several physiological processes and disease conditions.


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History of Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine


The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded every year since 1901. As many as 113 Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine have been awarded so far.


The number of Medicine Nobel laureates who are women is 12.


Frederick G Banting, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1923, when he was 32 years of age, is the youngest medicine laureate ever. He received the award for the discovery of insulin. 


Peyton Rous, who was awarded the 1966 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of tumour-inducing viruses, when he was 87 years of age, is the oldest medicine laureate ever. 


Sune Bergström and Svante Pääbo are the only father-son duo to have each been awarded a Medicine Nobel.