Who Is Katalin Kariko? Vaccine Scientist Named Among TIME's Heroes Of The Year

Katalin Kariko, a biochemist from Hungary, is among the fourth vaccine scientists named in the TIME magazine's 2021 list of Heroes of the Year.

Her research work in the RNA-mediated mechanisms was eventually used to make COVID-19 vaccines across the globe. The mRNA tells the body how to make all the receptors, proteins, enzymes and other molecules so that living things can function. She worked on RNA-mediated immune activation with American immunologist Drew Weissman, who is also one of the TIME 2021 Heroes of The Year. There creation was licensed by Moderna and BioNTech in other protein replacement technologies and was also used in their COVID-19 vaccines.

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Who Is Katalin Kariko?

• Kariko was born in 1955 in Hungary when the country was under Communist rule. Her father was a butcher.
• She did her graduation in biology at the University of Szeged and went on to a do postgraduation and PhD in biochemistry and learned more and more about RNA.
• As per the TIME magazine, even during in her PhD days, Kariko was convinced the mRNA could make the body make its own drug and treat diseases.
• She moved to Philadelphia in 1985 when was offered a position at Temple University. At the time, the Hungarian government had issued a diktat that citizen cannot take more than $50 with them when they leave the country so Kariko reportedly sewed $1,200 inside her infant daughter's teddy bear.

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• She moved on to University of Pennsylvania in 1989 where she further pursued mRNA. Her applications were rejected 24 times at the time, she told the magazine. She later started working in the neurosurgery department of the university.
• She collaborated with Immunologist Drew Weissman in 1997 who was developing a vaccine against HIV and other diseases. They worked together in vaccine development and synthetic RNA which eventually turned out the origin of COVID-19 vaccines.
• She was promoted to the post of senior vice president of BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals. She also works as an adjunct faculty at the University of Pennsylvania.