The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Randy Schekman bought his first microscope at the age of 12. In 2013, he became a Medicine Laureate.

© Nobel Media. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud

About the prize

“The said interest shall be divided into five equal parts, which shall be apportioned as follows: /- – -/ one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery within the domain of physiology or medicine …” (Excerpt from the will of Alfred Nobel)

Alfred Nobel had an active interest in medical research. Through Karolinska Institutet, he came into contact with Swedish physiologist Jöns Johansson around 1890. Johansson worked in Nobel’s laboratory in Sevran, France during a brief period the same year. Physiology or medicine was the third prize area Nobel mentioned in his will.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded by the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

See all medicine laureates or learn more about the nomination process.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2023

They contributed to an unprecedented rate of vaccine development

The discoveries by the two Nobel Prize laureates were critical for developing effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 during the pandemic that began in early 2020. Through their groundbreaking findings, which have fundamentally changed our understanding of how mRNA interacts with our immune system, the laureates contributed to the unprecedented rate of vaccine development during one of the greatest threats to human health in modern times.

Press release: The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2023

Scientific background: Discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19
A blue background with COVID-19 virus and a yellow strand of modified mRNA. Also shown is the chemical structure of pseudouridine, an RNA base that was important in the prize-awarded discovery. The graphic represents the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to Katalin Karinkó and Drew Weissman who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.

© The Nobel Committe for Physiology or Medicine. Ill. Mattias Karlén

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

The 2023 medicine laureates

The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institutet has decided to award the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman “for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.”
Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman

Ill. Niklas Elmehed © Nobel Prize Outreach

One-minute crash course

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2023

Making mRNA vaccines possible

Are you vaccinated against COVID-19? If so, you might have benefitted from the discovery awarded the 2023 medicine prize.

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What are the Nobel Prize categories?

The Nobel Prize categories are physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace and were laid out in the will of Alfred Nobel. Find out more in the FAQ.
The Nobel Prize medal.

The Nobel Prize medal.

© Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Clément Morin.

Nobel Prizes and laureates

See the full list of prizes and laureates

All Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine

The microscope that medicine laureate Ralph Steinman used daily.

© Nobel Media. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud

Articles in medicine

WOMEN WHO CHANGED SCIENCE

Explore a storytelling experience that celebrates and explores the contributions, careers and lives of 19 women who have been awarded Nobel Prizes for their scientific achievements.
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Learn about your brain’s place for maps

How do we know where we are? How can we find the way from one place to another? Thanks to the discovery of the brain’s “inner GPS” we now have a better understanding for how we manage to orient ourselves in space.

May-Britt Moser in the laboratory

Laureate May-Britt Moser in the laboratory

Photo: Geir Mo

Find out how a cool insight led to a life-saving discovery

Tu Youyou scoured ancient literature on herbal medicine in her quest to develop novel malaria therapies. A key insight into how to preserve the active ingredient during processing led to the discovery of artemisinin, which has saved many lives.

Tu Youyou

Tu Youyou, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015.

© Nobel Media. Photo: Alexander Mahmoud

Pinpointed the genes that enable cellular recycling

Follow how the discoveries Yoshinori Ohsumi made in baker’s yeast led to a new understanding of how our own cells recycle their contents. Autophagy, or ‘self-eating’ refers to the way our cells can degrade and then re-use their own contents.

Dragon ohsumi

Illustration depicting autophagy

Image: The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet