Katalin Kariko: podcast appearances and interviews

Katalin Kati Karikó is a Hungarian and American biochemist born on January 17, 1955. She specializes in RNA-mediated mechanisms, with a focus on in vitro transcribed messenger RNA used in protein replacement therapy. Her scientific research was instrumental in laying the groundwork for mRNA vaccines and overcoming significant obstacles and skepticism within the scientific community. Karikó co-discovered nucleoside modifications in RNA that suppress its immunogenicity, a breakthrough that earned her the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2023, shared with immunologist Drew Weissman. Her work includes securing United States patents for non-immunogenic, nucleoside-modified RNA, which has been licensed by companies such as BioNTech and Moderna to develop their protein-based therapies, including their COVID-19 vaccines. Karikó's contributions played a crucial role in the development of the effective mRNA vaccines that became central to the global response against SARS-CoV-2, significantly aiding the containment of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout her career, she has held positions at various institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania, where she faced challenges such as underfunding and lack of tenure, and she later became affiliated with BioNTech and the University of Szeged. She served as CEO of RNARx and was a senior vice president at BioNTech before leaving in 2022 to focus on research. In recognition of her pioneering work, she has received numerous awards, including the Lasker–DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award, and was named Time magazine's Hero of the Year in 2021.