How Turkish-German Couple Uğur Şahin & Özlem Türeci Gave Us Hope In Time Of COVID-19

When the pandemic first struck the world, among the first things it presented us with was a bleakness of hope. The initial period of 2020 was shrouded with uncertainty about the future, even more about how (or if at all) close we were to a vaccine against the deadly coronavirus pandemic. Like phoenixes, a Turkish-German husband-wife duo rose to the forefront, becoming the world's symbol of hope in our fight against the virus.

Scientists Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci, as the co-founders of German biotechnology giant BioNTech, were fundamental in developing the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, among the first and most effective to be designed. Dr Şahin and Dr Türeci, who are both also committed to cancer research, have emerged as beacons of change and cheer as the world steps into a new year.

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Here are 10 things you should know about this Turkish dream team: 

1. Doctors Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci, identified among the world's leading COVID-19 vaccine developers, are the co-founders of BioNTech, a German biotech involved in pharmaceuticals and cancer research. Upon the onset of the pandemic, they joined hands with US pharma giant Pfizer, to design the BNT162b2 vaccine. The vaccine, developed at remarkable speed, was the first to be authorised for emergency use in the US and UK, proving 95 percent effectiveness.

2. Şahin and Türeci have been hailed worldwide as changemakers, lauded for their scientific expertise and life-saving knowledge. Reports suggest the vaccine they have developed uses a technology that could be applied to further cancer research as well.

3. While Türeci is the Chief Medical Officer of BioNTech, her husband Şahin serves as the Chief Executive Officer. Based in Germany, the two are among the 100 richest Germans, with Şahin's net worth closing in on over $3.5 billion, according to Forbes.

4. Described as a "dream team" by their team members, Şahin and Türeci both belong to Turkish immigrant families from Germany. They met each other while pursuing medicine at Saarland University Hospital in Homburg. Married in 2002, the couple has one daughter. According to Türeci, they prefer identifying themselves as physicians.

5. The couple has especially been interested in “the immune system as a potential ally in the fight against cancer.” So much so that Türeci once previously mentioned that the two “made time for lab work” even on their wedding day.

6. In 2001, they set up Ganymed Pharmaceuticals in Germany to develop cancer-fighting antibodies. Sahin and Tuereci reportedly received funding from venture capitalists for their enterprise, “but the firm was eventually sold in 2016 for an estimated $1.4 billion,” according to reports.

7. Then in 2008, the husband-wife founded BioNTech “to make a range of cancer immunotherapy tools.” Şahin took the lead, while Türeci joined as a clinical and scientific advisory board member, before becoming the Chief Medical Officer in 2018.

8. Several colleagues have emphasised the couple's grounded and humble nature, despite heading such a gigantic venture. Matthias Kromayer, a fund board member associated with Sahin previously, recalls that Sahin comes to office “wearing jeans and carrying his signature bicycle helmet and backpack with him.”

9. Türeci is reportedly a pioneering force in cancer immunotherapy research, having done extensive research in the field. She is also a professor at the University of Mainz, the city where BioNTech is established. Şahin, meanwhile, is also a professor and is involved in designing a cancer vaccine. The two have previously won many awards for their contribution to science.

10. Aside from earning praise from populations world over, Şahin and Türeci have also been honoured as Financial Times' People of the Year for 2020. On the adulation they are receiving, not to mention the public opinion that they be awarded the Nobel Prize, the two say they prefer committing themselves to their science and nothing else. Though they "tick a couple of boxes people are interested in," they would much rather talk about their science instead of their background.

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The views expressed are the author's own.