Perry World House Penn Vaccine Research Team Awarded 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine

October 2, 2023
By Perry World House

Katalin Karikó, adjunct professor of neurosurgery in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, and Drew Weissman, the Roberts Family Professor of Vaccine Research in the Perelman School of Medicine were awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their groundbreaking research on the use of mRNA technology in vaccines, leading to the development of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Perry World House (PWH), the University of Pennsylvania’s hub for global affairs, sat down with Dr. Weissman for our first event of the academic year to discuss how mRNA technology is now being used in the development of a vaccine for malaria, the mosquito-borne disease that claims half a million lives each year.

“At Perry World House, we aim to bring Penn’s impact on global affairs to bear through thoughtful programming,” said PWH Interim Director Michael Weisberg. “Last month, we kicked off the semester with a conversation with Dr. Drew Weissman on the use of mRNA technology in the development of a vaccine for malaria, and we are thrilled for Drs. Weissman and Karikó for this incredible achievement.”

During last month’s event, Dr. Weissman spoke on the lessons that could be taken from the COVID-19 pandemic and applied to combating malaria, hopefully coming closer to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal target 3.3 of eradicating malaria.

“Drs. Karikó and Weissman's work has not only saved countless lives but also opened the world’s eyes to a new therapeutic approach to myriad diseases,” said University of Pennsylvania Vice Provost for Global Initiatives Ezekiel J. Emanuel. “The early stages of their work were done without government support, but nearly thirty years later they are heroes, life savers, and Nobel Prize winners. On behalf of Perry World House, we--and the entire University of Pennsylvania community--are extremely proud of Kati and Drew for winning this Nobel Prize for their truly innovative work.”

Read more about Drs. Karikó and Weissman’s work here, and watch our event with Dr. Weissman here.