Persistence Pays Off: Recognizing Katalin Karik and Drew Weissman, the 2023 Nobel Prize Winners in Physiology or Medicine

Posted on Oct. 12, 2023, by Lawrence Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D

Last week, biochemist Katalin Karik and immunologist Drew Weissman earned the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries that enabled the development of effective messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines against COVID-19. On behalf of the NIH community, Id like to congratulate Karik and Weissman and thank them for their persistence in pursuing their investigations. NIH is proud to have supported their seminal research, cited by the Nobel Assembly as key publications.

While the lifesaving benefits of mRNA vaccines are now clearly realized, Karik and Weissmans breakthrough finding in 2005 was not fully appreciated at the time as to why it would be significant. However, their dogged dedication to gaining a better understanding of how RNA interacts with the immune system underscores the often-underappreciated importance of incremental research. Following where the science leads through step-by-step investigations often doesnt appear to be flashy, but it can end up leading to major advances.