Rosalyn Yalow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rosalyn Sussman Yalow
|
|
|---|---|
Rosalyn Yalow (1977)
|
|
| Born |
Rosalyn Sussman
July 19, 1921 New York City, U.S.
|
| Died | May 30, 2011 (aged 89) The Bronx, New York, U.S.
|
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Hunter College University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign |
| Known for | Radioimmunoassay (RIA) |
| Spouse(s) | A. Aaron Yalow (m. 1943; 2 children) |
| Awards | 1972 Dickson Prize 1975 AMA Scientific Achievement Award 1976 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research 1977 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1988 National Medal of Science |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Medical physics |
| Influenced | Mildred Dresselhaus |
Rosalyn Yalow (born July 19, 1921 – died May 30, 2011) was an American scientist. She was a medical physicist, which means she studied how physics can be used in medicine.
Contents
Meet Rosalyn Yalow
Rosalyn Sussman Yalow was born on July 19, 1921. Her hometown was the Bronx, a part of New York City. She grew up to become a very important scientist.
Early Life and Education
Rosalyn went to Hunter College in New York. She finished her studies there in 1941. Hunter College was a school just for women at that time.
It was sometimes hard for women to become scientists back then. But Rosalyn kept trying and worked very hard. She later earned a special degree called a PhD. She got this degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Her Important Work
In 1947, Rosalyn Yalow started working at a hospital. It was the Bronx Veteran’s Administration Hospital. She was a consultant in nuclear physics. This field studies the tiny parts inside atoms.
By 1950, she was helping lead the radioisotope service. This service used special materials that give off radiation. Later, in 1968, she became a research professor. She taught at the Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
In 1973, Rosalyn became the head of a research lab. It was called the Solomon A. Berson Research Laboratory. This lab was also at the Bronx Veteran’s Administration Hospital.
Winning the Nobel Prize
Rosalyn Yalow won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1977. This is a very famous award for important discoveries in medicine. She was only the second woman ever to win this specific Nobel Prize.
She shared the award with two other scientists. Their names were Roger Guillemin and Andrew Schally.
What is Radioimmunoassay (RIA)?
Rosalyn Yalow is most famous for creating something called the radioimmunoassay, or RIA. She developed it with her partner, Solomon Berson. They first used the RIA in 1959.
The RIA is a special test that can find tiny amounts of substances in the blood. It uses radioactive markers to tag these substances. This helps scientists measure them very accurately.
One of the first uses for RIA was to study insulin in people with diabetes. Diabetes is a condition where the body has trouble controlling sugar levels. The RIA test helped doctors understand how much insulin was in a person's blood. This was a huge step forward that helped many people with diabetes.
Images for kids
-
A postcard honoring Rosalyn Sussman Yalow.
-
Yalow (left), receiving the Middleton Award with Kenneth Sterling, M.D. (center), and Bronx VA Medical Center Director Harold Jaffrey (right)
See also
In Spanish: Rosalyn Yalow para niños
