Facts on the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Facts on the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

On 27 November 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his last will and testament, giving the largest share of his fortune to a series of prizes, the Nobel Prizes. As described in Nobel's will, one part was dedicated to “the person who shall have made the most important discovery within the domain of physiology or medicine”. Learn more about the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine from 1901 to 2014.

Number of Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine: 105 Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine have been awarded since 1901. It was not awarded on nine occasions: in 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1921, 1925, 1940, 1941 and 1942.

Facts on the Nobel Prize in Physics

Number of Shared and Unshared Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine:

38 Medicine Prizes have been given to one Laureate only.

32 Medicine Prizes have been shared by two Laureates.

35 Medicine Prizes have been shared between three Laureates.

Number of Nobel Laureates* in Physiology or Medicine: 207 individuals have been awarded 1901-2014.

Facts on the Prize in Economic Sciences

Average Age: The average age of all Medicine Laureates between 1901 and 2014 is 58 years.

Youngest Medicine Laureate: To date, the youngest Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine is Frederick G. Banting, who was 32 years old when he was awarded the Medicine Prize in 1923.

Facts on the Nobel Prize in Literature

Oldest Medicine Laureate: The oldest Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine to date is Peyton Rous, who was 87 years old when he was awarded the Medicine Prize in 1966.

Female Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine: Of the 207 individuals awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, only 11 are women. Of these 11, Barabara McClintock is the only one who has received an unshared Nobel Prize.

1947 - Gerty Cori

1977 - Rosalyn Yalow

1983 - Barbara McClintock

1986 - Rita Levi-Montalcini

1988 - Gertrude B. Elion

1995 - Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard

2004 - Linda B. Buck

2008 - Françoise Barré-Sinoussi

2009 - Elizabeth H. Blackburn and Carol W. Greider

2014 - May-Britt Moser

List of Noble Prize Winner Women

Multiple Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine: No one has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine more than once. Yet

Family Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine:

Married couple:

1.     Gerty Cori and Carl Cori, both awarded the 1947 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

2.     May-Britt Moser and Edvard I. Moser, both awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Facts on the Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Father & son:

1.     Hans von Euler-Chelpin (Chemistry Prize) and Ulf von Euler (Medicine Prize)

2.     Arthur Kornberg (Medicine Prize) and Roger D. Kornberg (Chemistry Prize)

Brothers: Jan Tinbergen (Economics Prize) and Nikolaas Tinbergen (Medicine Prize)

Facts on the Nobel Peace Prize

Nominations for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1901-1953): In the nomination database, you can find interesting nomination trivia, for example, that the Austrian neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was nominated 32 times for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, but never awarded. In 1929, the Nobel Committee for Medicine engaged an expert who concluded that a further investigation in Freud was not necessary, since Freud's work was of no proven scientific value. Freud was also nominated once for the 1936 Nobel Prize in Literature by Nobel Laureate Romain Rolland, an acquaintance of Freud.

 Frederick G. Banting and John Macleod were awarded the 1923 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine the first year they were nominated (with three nominations) for their discovery of insulin. By contrast, Robert Koch was nominated 55 times over 4 years before he received the Prize in 1905 for his discoveries concerning tuberculosis, while Ferdinand Sauerbruch, the great German surgeon, never got the prize despite 54 nominations during 14 years. This type of information, and much more, is available in the Nomination Database spanning the years 1901-1951. The Nomination Database for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1901-1951 (http://www.nobelprize.org/nomination/archive/medicine/database.html)

All Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine: The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded 105 times to 207 Nobel Laureates between 1901 and 2014. Click on the links to get more information. 

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/

DOWNLOAD Facts on the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.pdf