Ruth Arnon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ruth Arnon
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| Born |
Ruth Rosenberg
June 1, 1933 |
| Education | Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium, Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| Known for | Copaxone |
| Spouse(s) | Uriel Arnon (2 children) |
| Parent(s) |
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| Awards | Robert Koch Prize (1979), Wolf Prize in Medicine (1998) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Immunology, Virology |
| Institutions | Weizmann Institute of Science |
| Doctoral advisor | Michael Sela |
Ruth Arnon (born in Tel Aviv, Israel on June 1, 1933) is an Israeli scientist. She helped create Copaxone, a medicine for a disease called multiple sclerosis. She is a top professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science. There, she studies how our bodies fight off sickness. She also researches new ways to stop cancer and the flu.
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About Ruth Arnon
Ruth Rosenberg (who later became Ruth Arnon) was the youngest of three children. She was born in Tel Aviv. Her father, Alexander Rosenberg, studied engineering and math. He later worked for the Israel Electric Corporation. Ruth said her father made her interested in science.
She went to Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium for school. By age 15, she knew she wanted to be a medical researcher. She studied chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Then, she joined a special army program. In this program, students study at university before serving in the military.
Ruth earned her master's degree in 1955. She served two years as an officer in the Israeli army. During this time, she married Uriel Arnon. He was an engineer. They have two children, Michal and Yoram.
Her Amazing Science Career
Ruth Arnon joined the Weizmann Institute of Science in 1960. This is a very famous science center in Israel. There, she started working on her doctorate degree with Michael Sela. She has spent most of her life studying immunology. This is the study of how our bodies fight off sickness and disease.
While at Weizmann, Professor Arnon held many important jobs. She was the head of the Chemical Immunology department. She was also the Dean of the Faculty of Biology. She served as Vice President of the institute too.
Developing Copaxone Medicine
One of Ruth Arnon's biggest achievements was helping to create Copaxone. This medicine helps people with multiple sclerosis. She worked with Professor Michael Sela on this project.
Their work began by making the first "synthetic antigen." An antigen is something that makes your immune system react. They found that a special material made in the lab could stop a disease in animals. This animal disease was similar to multiple sclerosis.
After 30 years of research, Copaxone was approved for use. The TEVA Pharmaceutical Company submitted it for approval in 1995. Copaxone helps protect nerve cells and can even help them grow back. It also stops damage to the protective coating around nerves.
Fighting the Flu and Cancer
Ruth Arnon is still doing important research today. She is working on a "universal" flu vaccine. This kind of vaccine would protect people from many different types of flu. She is also researching a vaccine to fight cancer.
In 2009, she published a paper about using "virus-like particles" (VLPs). These particles look like viruses but cannot make you sick. They help your immune system learn to recognize and fight off real viruses. This could lead to a vaccine that protects against bird flu. Her research helped start a company called BiondVax. This company is testing a universal flu vaccine in people.
In 2017, Professor Arnon became a co-chair of the UK-Israel Science Council. She has been a founding member of this council since 2010.
Awards and Special Honors
Ruth Arnon has received many awards for her important work. Here are some of them:
- 1979 – Robert Koch Prize in Medical Sciences, Germany
- 1986 – Jimenez Diaz Award, Spain
- 1990 – Elected Member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
- 1991 – Hadassah Women of Distinction Award
- 1994 – Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Légion d'Honneur, France (a high honor from France)
- 1998 – Wolf Prize in Medicine for creating Cop1, also known as Copaxone
- 1998 – Rothschild Prize in Life Sciences
- 2001 – Israel Prize in medicine (one of Israel's highest honors)
- 2009 – Elected member of the American Philosophical Society
- 2010 – First woman president of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
- 2020 – OurCrowd Maimonides Award for Lifetime Achievement in Science
- 2021 – Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) from the UK
See also
- Women of Israel
