Katalin Karikó initially dismissed the early morning call as a prank. It was 3 a.m. on October 2, 2023, when her husband picked up the phone. Working in building maintenance, he often receives calls for urgent repairs, Karikó recalls. However, he passed the phone to her, saying, “It is for you.” Still groggy, she listened to the voice on the other end, who turned out to be calling from Sweden to share the exciting news: Karikó, a biochemist at the University of Pennsylvania, had been awarded the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for her groundbreaking research on mRNA, a pivotal advance that facilitated the swift creation of COVID-19 vaccines.
This accolade — one of the most prestigious in science, on par with those for chemistry and physics — placed her among a distinguished group of individuals who received notification this October that they are now recognized within the most esteemed circles of science.
The Nobel Prize is renowned across the globe, albeit it highlights only a limited aspect of scientific achievements and a mere few scientists within those realms. Numerous scientific disciplines do not align with the established prize categories at all. Furthermore, as only three individuals are eligible to share each award, many contributors related to a pivotal discovery may remain unacknowledged.
The disparity in recognition concerning who is honored — and who is overlooked — often reflects the prize’s criteria, historical influences in science, and how the two can inadvertently create bias.
The Science Olympics
The awards are named after Alfred Nobel, a 19th-century Swedish chemist who created dynamite, subsequently using his wealth to establish the prizes.
Nobel likely didn’t envision the prize evolving into the “Olympics of science,” according to Marshall Lichtman, a physician from the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, who penned a 2017 article on Alfred Nobel and the Nobel Prize. “His intention was probably to offer winners a reward that would enable them to pursue their exceptional work further,” Lichtman suggests.
The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901 and quickly garnered global attention. At that time, there were no other significant accolades for scientific achievements, and nominations were open to everyone, irrespective of nationality. “This meant the finest talents worldwide were bound to be recognized,” Lichtman affirms.
Presently, the selection process for winners spans almost a year, involving solicitation of nominees, review, and awarding.
“We are tasked with awarding a discovery,” articulates Juleen Zierath, a physiologist at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, which bestows the physiology or medicine prize. “Thus, we must evaluate nominees. Are these individuals the appropriate candidates? Did they genuinely contribute to a discovery?”
The organizations responsible for the awards strive to mitigate bias, says Zierath, who made history as the first woman to lead a Nobel committee and currently engages in an assembly tasked with selecting the physiology or medicine prize recipients. “Our committee consists of 50 members to prevent any single individual from dominating the decision-making process,” she explains. Moreover, “we do not limit our nominations to one particular region, seeking nominations globally.”
Winning Chances
Most scientists, irrespective of their level of success, are unlikely to receive a Nobel Prize. Those who do are predominantly white men. In 2023, Karikó became one of only 13 women to achieve a Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, with even fewer winning in chemistry or physics. Notably, only one Black individual has been awarded any of the science prizes — W. Arthur Lewis for economic science in 1979.
Typically, the winners hail from affluent nations, predominantly the United States and Western Europe, largely due to significant investment in scientific research and development in those regions, as noted by Zierath.
To be recognized as worthy of such an award, scientists must achieve significant breakthroughs. This frequently necessitates working in large laboratories at prestigious universities, which can be challenging for underrepresented groups to access. Barriers exist for many, including people of color and white women, making it less likely for them to reach positions where they can engage in prize-winning research, remarks Harriet Zuckerman, a sociologist at Columbia University. She emphasizes the “array of obstacles that impede women’s career progression,” which diminishes their chances of executing the type of work typically recognized with a Nobel Prize.
“It can take 10, 20, 30, or even 40 years from the initial nomination to actually winning the Nobel Prize,” states Nils Hansson, a science historian at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, Germany. This indicates that other scientists must consider a discovery worthy of the award and continue nominating the leading scientist.
Recipients are often the leaders of their research teams. For instance, Victor Ambros, a developmental biologist from the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in Worcester, was awarded a Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 2024 for uncovering microRNAs—small genetic components that regulate protein production in cells. He shared the honor with Gary Ruvkun, his former colleague at Harvard Medical School. Despite his wife, Rosalind Lee, being a scientist who contributed equally to their research, she does not lead her own lab and, thus, did not share in the prize.
“Here’s a life partner, my partner at home, my partner in the lab, my scientific collaborator,” Ambros reflects. “It really would have been wonderful if we could have shared” that recognition.
Looking Ahead
It is unlikely that the Nobel Foundation will modify anything regarding the prizes as they are heavily constrained by stipulations outlined in Alfred Nobel’s will.
This limitation excludes a wide spectrum of scientific fields. “What’s the place for ecology?” queries Robert Marc Friedman, a historian of science at the University of Oslo. “What about oceanic research? Weather and climate studies? Geology? Breakthroughs in these areas can be just as critical as those in physics, chemistry, or medicine. However, most will not be eligible for a Nobel Prize.”
Notwithstanding this, Lichtman believes the prize remains vital. It highlights the potential of science to transform lives.
Ambros concurs, asserting that it is fundamentally about recognizing and celebrating science. “In recent months, I’ve discussed my research publicly more than I have throughout my entire career,” he comments. When people learn of his Nobel Prize win, they become not only intrigued by him and his research but also curious about the broader realm of science.
