Walter Reed (1851–1902) was a pioneering American physician and army surgeon whose work confirmed the theory that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes, specifically the Aedes aegypti species. This groundbreaking discovery was influenced by the earlier hypotheses of Cuban doctor Carlos Finlay. Serving as the head of the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Commission in Cuba,…
Frederick Sanger (1918–2013) was a British biochemist who made groundbreaking contributions to the field of molecular biology and received two Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, becoming one of the few individuals to achieve this honor. Born in Gloucestershire, England, Sanger studied biochemistry at the University of Cambridge before embarking on a distinguished research career. Frederick Sanger…
Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin (1910–1994) was a British chemist renowned for her groundbreaking work in X-ray crystallography, which enabled her to determine the three-dimensional structures of important biomolecules. Born in Cairo, Egypt, Hodgkin’s early interest in chemistry led her to study at Oxford University, where she excelled in crystallography under the guidance of J.D. Bernal. Dorothy…
Carlos Finlay (1833–1915) was a Cuban physician recognized for his groundbreaking work in epidemiology, particularly his pioneering research on the transmission of yellow fever by mosquitoes. Born in Puerto Príncipe (now Camagüey), Finlay’s theory, first proposed in 1881, suggested that the Aedes aegypti mosquito was responsible for spreading the disease, contradicting prevailing beliefs. However, his…
Grtrude B. Elion (1918–1999) was an American biochemist and pharmacologist whose groundbreaking research led to the development of numerous life-saving drugs. Born in New York City, Elion faced discrimination as a woman in science but overcame these barriers to make significant contributions to medicine. Alongside her research partner George H. Hitchings, she pioneered the concept…
