43 min listen
Best of (Nobel Prize Edition) - Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman: The Vaccine Revolution
FromWhat It Takes®
Best of (Nobel Prize Edition) - Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman: The Vaccine Revolution
FromWhat It Takes®
ratings:
Length:
58 minutes
Released:
Oct 2, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
The COVID-19 vaccine came out at warp speed because of the work of these two scientists. This week, they were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. In celebration, we are re-posting our episode about Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman. For many, many years they investigated the secrets of messenger RNA (mRNA). And when the pandemic began, their research was ready and waiting. On this episode you’ll hear Katalin Karikó talk about her humble beginnings in Hungary, and the forces that enabled her to persevere, even though for decades people thought her ideas about mRNA were laughable. She was denied grants, lost jobs and wasn’t taken seriously, but she never wavered. Fortunately, she met Drew Weissman one day at a copy machine, where they both worked at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Weissman was an immunologist, working on a vaccine for HIV. He was interested in Karikó’s work and they began to collaborate. Even when they made major discoveries, they could not get support for their work… until the Corona Virus appeared. Now the scientific world sees the potential that Karikó and Weissman saw all along: that mRNA may open the door to many other vaccines and to therapeutic treatment for a host of illnesses, from Cancer to Sickle Cell Anemia to Heart Disease. (c ) American Academy of Achievement 2023
Released:
Oct 2, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Carol Burnett: Laughter and Reflection: Whether you grew up watching The Carol Burnett Show, or your parents did, this comedian, actress, singer and writer is someone you want to get to know better. Burnett broke new ground when she launched her own television variety show in 1967 (hosting was still a man's game in those days). And she kept Americans laughing for the next 11 years. She had a huge influence on the comedians that followed in her footsteps, including Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Kristin Wiig. In this episode she talks about her very humble beginnings and dysfunctional family, her mysterious benefactor, her breakthrough role on Broadway, and the path that finally landed her in the medium she loved best - television. She also describes the moment she knew that making people laugh was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. by What It Takes®