Staff and Postgraduate students in Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience delight in Professor Katalin Karikó's Nobel Prize win

12 Oct 2023

Staff and Postgraduate students in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience were truly delighted on learning that Professor Katalin Karikó has been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Professor Katalin Karikó has been a big hit with the staff and postgraduate students in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience since she visited the department in advance of receiving an honorary doctorate from UCC in April this year.

Taking time from her packed schedule to visit and chat with staff and research students in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Professor Katalin Karikó left a lasting impression on all that she met. Students remarked how interested she was in their work and how her professionalism and warmness and generous words of encouragement and her life story had inspired and greatly impressed them.

Professor Karikó's impact on UCC is evidenced in a recent tweet by Professor John Cryan, Chair of Anatomy and Vice President for Research & Innovation at UCC 'So delighted for Katalin Karikó on winning the Nobel Prize - One of the most inspirational people I have ever met -everyone should read her story of resilience and determination. https://lnkd.in/e8ZCBPN6. It was a very special day University College Cork when she got her Honorary Doctorate this past April #UCCFutures #UCCFutureMedicines UCC Research

University College Cork awarded Professor Katalin Karikó an honorary doctorate in recognition of her pioneering mRNA research, which led to the BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against COVID-19. 

PhD students Caoimhe Lynch, and Joan Omosefe Osayande chatting with Professor Katalin Karikó. Photo: Daragh McSweeney/Provision

Postgraduate students in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience commented how inspiring it was to meet and chat with Professor Katalin Karikó the extraordinary, driven, and talented scientist, whose life's work on mRNA research, led to the BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna vaccines against COVID-19. Postgraduate students Caoimhe Lynch and Joan Omosofe Osayande (pictured) remarked how interested Professor Karikó was in their research and how encouraging she was to them as young scientists. Joan Omosofe Osayande commented how friendly and relaxed Professor Karikó was saying that they even had a chat about how to decide what to wear at an honorary conferring! Some advice hopefully to be of use later to these postgraduate students! 

Back l-r; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience postgraduate students Rie Matsuzaki, Caoimhe Lynch, Michael Thomas Neary, Joan Omosefe Osayande, Patricia Flynn. Front l-r; Elizabeth Oluwaseyi Bodunde, Professor Katalin Karikó and Ketki Mulay. Photo: Daragh McSweeney/Provision

Before being awarded her honorary doctorate in UCC's Aula Maxima, Professor Karikó spoke to a packed lecture theatre in UCC's Western Gateway Building. Introduced by Professor Caitriona O'Driscoll, Chair of Pharmaceutics in the School of Pharmacy and in a relaxed questions and answers format the evening proved to be a fascinating insight to the life and challenging career path of a very interesting scientist. When asked about receiving awards and recognition for her work Professor Karikó spoke of how one of her greatest accolades was receiving a standing ovation from elderly residents in a care home who wearing t-shirts with her photo printed on them, thanked her for her work which saved their lives during the Covid-19 Pandemic!

Other Links:

• UCC Honorary Doctorate awardee Professor Katalin Karikó inspires Anatomy and Neuroscience Students
• Pioneer of Covid-19 vaccine, Dr Katalin Karikó, to be awarded UCC Honorary Doctorate
• Dr Katalin Karikó awarded Honorary Doctorate
• 'Pioneer' awarded doctorate for contribution to Covid-19 vaccine development

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News item: B.Riedewald

Photographs: Daragh McSweeney/Provision