From the NYT:
Dr. Karikó, the 13th woman to win the prize, languished for many long years without funding or a permanent academic position, keeping her research afloat only by latching onto more senior scientists at the University of Pennsylvania who let her work with them. She was forced to retire from the university a decade ago, she said, and remains only an adjunct professor there … Dr. Karikó referred in an interview published by the University of Pennsylvania on Monday to her many years of clinging to the fringes of academia. In the interview, Dr. Karikó said that every October, her mother used to tell her, “I will listen to the radio that maybe you will get the Nobel Prize.” Dr. Karikó said she would answer: “Mum, you know, I never even get a grant.”
if the academic world could ever come up with a good measurement of impact then many of these subjective and traditional research performance metrics could go away; fortunately Nobel does understand impact.
At least Dr. Kariko has belatedly received fitting, monumental recognition (with the fortuitous and unfortunate “help” of the awful covid pandemic). That Drew Weissman (her cowinner) was able to make his way at Penn; and that she was able to flourish to some extent there, says something for the American system of academic research. And their role in the science that enabled Operation Warp Speed, which truly was a monumental achievement, says a lot about the continued value of American academic science. (For those who want more, I recommend “Oppenheimer.”)
Let’s hope it isn’t all being ruined with “metrics” and meddling by bureaucrats, government and university, including DEI types.
Great interview with her on PBS. Remarkable woman to whom a great debt is owed!