Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nobel Prizein Physiology or Medicine |
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| Presented by | Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute | |||
| Location | Stockholm, Sweden | |||
| Reward | 12 million SEK (2026) | |||
| First awarded | 1901 | |||
| Currently held by | Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel (2026) | |||
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The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is one of the most famous science awards in the world. It is given every year to scientists who make amazing breakthroughs in biology, health, and how living things work. The award is presented by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. It comes from the wishes of Alfred Nobel, an inventor who wanted his wealth to reward great achievements. His goal was to celebrate discoveries that bring the greatest benefit to humankind.
Along with this award, other Nobel Prizes honor work in Physics, Chemistry, Literature, and Peace. A sixth award, the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, was created later in memory of Alfred Nobel. The medicine prize is announced every October and handed out on 10 December. That date marks the anniversary of Nobel's death. Over the years, the prize has honored discoveries that help doctors save lives every single day.
Contents
The Story Behind the Nobel Prize
Alfred Nobel was born on 21 October 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden. He grew up in an active family of engineers and builders. Nobel loved science, chemistry, and reading books. During his lifetime, he created 355 inventions. His most famous invention was dynamite, which was used safely for blasting rock, building tunnels, and digging canals. Because his inventions were used all across the globe, Nobel became extremely wealthy.
Nobel was very interested in biology and physiology, which is the study of how living bodies function. He built his own private research labs in France and Italy. Nobel even gave money to help famous researchers like Ivan Pavlov in Russia. Nobel believed that laboratory science would create a brighter future for all people.
In 1888, an unexpected event changed Nobel's outlook on life. A French newspaper mistakenly believed Alfred had died instead of his brother Ludvig. The newspaper printed a harsh article about his work with explosives. Reading this made Alfred think deeply about how people would remember him. He wanted to leave behind a positive legacy that helped the world.
A year before he died in 1896, Nobel wrote his final will. He asked that his fortune fund five annual prizes. These awards would celebrate breakthroughs in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. The Storting, which is Norway's parliament, approved his plans in 1897. Soon, the Nobel Foundation was formed to manage the money. In 1900, King Oscar II of Sweden approved the official rules.
How Scientists Are Chosen for the Award
Winning a Nobel Prize requires an incredible discovery that helps many people. Nobel stated in his will that the prize must reward a clear discovery, not just long service. Every year, thousands of experts receive invitations to suggest candidates. These nominators include medical professors, members of science academies, and past laureates.
Only certain people can nominate scientists. Medical professors across Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Iceland can submit names. Leading universities around the globe also send recommendations. A scientist cannot nominate themselves for a Nobel Prize. The committee keeps all nominations secret for 50 years to ensure fair choices.
The Selection Process at Karolinska Institute
The medical school known as the Karolinska Institute in Sweden is responsible for this prize. Inside the school, a special group called the Nobel Assembly makes the final decision. The assembly has 50 medical professors. To help evaluate nominees, they choose a smaller Nobel Committee of five members. This committee studies all the research papers and consults outside experts.
In 1968, a rule was added that no more than three people can share one prize. The committee prefers discoveries in basic science rather than inventions of applied science. Basic science uncovers how nature works, which helps later inventors build new tools.
Famous Discoveries Evaluated by the Committee
Sometimes, famous inventors did not win because the committee focused on basic discoveries. Harvey Cushing, a talented neurosurgeon who studied the brain and discovered Cushing's syndrome, was not selected. Famous psychologist Sigmund Freud, who created psychoanalysis, was also passed over because his theories could not be tested easily in a lab.
A famous example involved the vaccine against polio. The public expected Jonas Salk or Albert Sabin to win for making the famous polio vaccines. Instead, the prize went to John Enders, Thomas Weller, and Frederick Robbins. These three scientists figured out how to grow the polio virus inside cells in a laboratory. Their basic work made the vaccines possible.
Early prizes often went to classical physiology. In 1963, John Eccles, Alan Hodgkin, and Andrew Huxley won for showing how electrical signals move through nerves. Over time, the prize shifted toward genetics, cells, and molecules.
What Laureates Receive
Winners of the Nobel Prize are called laureates. During the awards ceremony in Sweden, each winner receives three things: a gold medal, a personalized diploma, and a large cash award.
The Gold Medal
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The medicine medal is crafted from gold and designed by sculptor Erik Lindberg. The front of the medal shows a portrait of Alfred Nobel facing left. The back shows an allegorical scene called the Genius of Medicine. In the picture, she holds an open book and gathers fresh water from a rock for a sick girl.
The medal features a Latin quote from the poet Virgil in his famous poem, the Aeneid. It reads: Inventas vitam iuvat excoluisse per artes. This means "It is beneficial to have improved human life through discovered arts." The name of the winner is engraved right on the medal. For many decades, the medals were made by Myntverket, the Swedish mint in Eskilstuna. Today, they are made by Svenska Medalj in that same city.
Diplomas and Prize Money
Every laureate receives an artistic diploma presented by the King of Sweden. Each diploma is an individual work of art made by top calligraphers and painters. It contains the winner's name and a special citation explaining why they won.
The cash prize comes from Alfred Nobel's original investments. The exact sum changes over time based on the earnings of the Nobel Foundation. If two people win together, they split the money evenly. If three people win, the committee can divide it into three equal parts, or give half to one person and one quarter to each of the others.
The Grand Ceremony and Banquet
The celebration takes place each year at the Stockholm Concert Hall. The King of Sweden personally presents the awards on stage. Afterward, guests walk to the Stockholm City Hall for a huge dinner called the Nobel Banquet.
The banquet menu is kept a secret until the very moment dinner is served. Famous international chefs spend months creating and tasting delicious dishes for the event. Sweden's royal family, government leaders, and international scholars attend the dinner. Each laureate is allowed to bring family members and close friends to share the experience.
Amazing Discoveries by Nobel Laureates
Since the first award in 1901, the prize has honored many discoveries that transformed healthcare. The very first winner was German physiologist Emil von Behring. He created serum therapy and developed an early vaccine to protect children from diphtheria. His discovery gave doctors a powerful weapon against dangerous illnesses.
In 1902, Ronald Ross won for uncovering how mosquitoes spread malaria, helping communities protect themselves. In 1903, Niels Ryberg Finsen won for using light therapy to treat a skin condition called lupus vulgaris. In 1904, Ivan Pavlov won for his famous studies exploring digestion in animals.
Studying Animals and the Human Body
Sometimes the prize recognized discoveries about how animals act. In 1973, Nikolaas Tinbergen, Konrad Lorenz, and Karl von Frisch won for studying animal behavior. They explored how bees communicate, how birds learn to follow their parents, and how animals defend territories. Tinbergen joked that people were surprised to see "mere animal watchers" win a medical award!
Other winners explored tiny parts inside cells. Prizes have honored work on G proteins, signal transduction, neurobiology, and intermediary metabolism. These complex terms describe how cells talk to each other, process food, and share energy.
Women Who Changed Medical Science
Fourteen brilliant women have won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. In 1947, Gerty Cori became the first woman to win the award. She discovered how the body breaks down sugar and manages the metabolism of glucose, helping people understand diabetes.
Other remarkable women followed her:
- Rosalyn Yalow (1977) created tools to measure tiny substances in blood.
- Barbara McClintock (1983) discovered "jumping genes," known as genetic transposition, by studying corn plants. She was the first woman to win this prize alone.
- Rita Levi-Montalcini (1986), an Italian neurologist, discovered nerve growth factor alongside Stanley Cohen. She was the first Nobel laureate to live to 100 years old!
- Gertrude B. Elion (1988) developed innovative medicines to treat serious infections.
- Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard (1995) showed how genes guide the early development of living embryos.
- Linda B. Buck (2004) uncovered how our sense of smell works.
- Françoise Barré-Sinoussi (2008) helped discover the virus that causes AIDS.
- Elizabeth H. Blackburn and Carol W. Greider (2009) discovered how telomeres and the enzyme telomerase protect chromosomes and DNA.
- May-Britt Moser (2014) discovered the brain's internal GPS system that helps us navigate.
- Tu Youyou (2015) discovered a malaria medicine using ancient herbal texts.
- Katalin Karikó (2023) developed messenger RNA technology that made modern vaccines possible.
- Mary E. Brunkow (2025) made major discoveries in human genetics.
Breakthroughs in Genetics and Modern Medicine
In 2007, Mario Capecchi, Martin Evans, and Oliver Smithies won for using homologous recombination and gene targeting. They created the knockout mouse, a laboratory mouse missing a specific gene, allowing scientists to study human diseases.
In 2026, the prize was awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel. They discovered how to use light to control brain cells, a field called optogenetics. Their work helps scientists understand how brain circuits create thoughts, memories, and movements.
Challenges, Rules, and Debates
Picking only three winners each year is difficult. Over the decades, several selections led to debates among scientists.
Waiting for Recognition
It often takes decades for the importance of a discovery to become completely clear. Barbara McClintock did her best work in 1944, but she did not win until 1983. In 1916, Peyton Rous showed that viruses could cause tumors in birds. He waited 50 years to win his prize in 1966.
Nobel rules state that prizes cannot be awarded to people who have died. In 2011, immunologist Ralph M. Steinman was named a winner. Unbeknownst to the committee, he had passed away three days earlier. Because the decision was made without knowing, the committee let his award stand.
Arguments Over Who Deserved Credit
Some prizes caused disagreements between researchers who worked together:
- The Discovery of Insulin (1923): Frederick Banting and John Macleod won for isolating insulin to treat diabetes. Banting was angry because his partner Charles Best was left out. Banting gave half of his prize money to Best. Macleod shared his money with chemist James Collip. Meanwhile, Romanian researcher Nicolae Paulescu had patented an early form of insulin first.
- Streptomycin Antibiotic (1952): Selman Waksman won for discovering streptomycin, an antibiotic that treated tuberculosis. His student Albert Schatz did much of the lab work. Schatz sued Waksman, and a court ruled they were co-discoverers, but only Waksman received the Nobel Prize.
- The Shape of DNA (1962): James D. Watson, Francis Crick, and Maurice Wilkins won for discovering the structure of DNA. However, Rosalind Franklin took the key x-ray crystallography photograph that proved the double helix shape. Franklin died in 1958, before the prize was awarded, so she was not included.
- Treatment Mistakes (1949): In 1949, António Egas Moniz won for inventing a brain surgery called the prefrontal lobotomy. At the time, newspapers like The New York Times praised it. However, the procedure often harmed patients, including Rosemary Kennedy, daughter of Joseph Kennedy. Doctors later abandoned the surgery, and many experts regret this award.
- Virus Research (2008): Harald zur Hausen won for showing that human papillomavirus can cause cervical cancer. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier won for discovering HIV. American scientist Robert Gallo felt he deserved equal credit for finding the virus, leading to heated discussions.
The Rule of Three
Modern science is done by large teams of researchers around the world rather than single individuals. Because of this, the rule that limits each prize to three people has become difficult. When a massive breakthrough happens, dozens of researchers may have played key roles. The committee must choose only three, leaving other deserving scientists unrecognized.
Years Without a Prize
During difficult times in world history, the Nobel Prize was not awarded. There were nine years without a prize: 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1921, 1925, 1940, 1941, and 1942. Most of these gaps happened during World War I and World War II. In 1939, the government of Nazi Germany stopped winner Gerhard Domagk from accepting his award. He was able to receive his medal and diploma years later, but he never received the money.
Despite these challenges, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine remains a beacon of human curiosity. It continues to inspire researchers around the globe to explore nature and improve human life.
Images for kids
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Nobel laureates speaking at a press conference in Stockholm in 2008.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Ganadores del Premio Nobel de Fisiología o Medicina para niños
