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05 October 2020The 2020 Nobel Prize in Medicine was jointly awarded to Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice "for the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus".
This was announced by the Nobel Committee
In this year marked by the pandemic, which highlighted the importance of medical research for society and economies around the world, the recognition takes on particular significance.
The announcement was made as every year by the Karolinska Institutet of Stockholm in Sweden, live via the Internet and social networks.
Few attendances in the classroom due to the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic and for the first time in its history also the award ceremony scheduled at the beginning of December will be virtual.
The winners will receive a gold medal and a cash prize of 10 million Swedish kronor (approximately 950,000 euros).
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Medicine went to William Kaelin, Peter Ratcliffe and Gregg Semenza for their discoveries on how cells adapt to the availability of oxygen, a crucial mechanism for keeping cells healthy that paves the way to the understanding of many diseases, first of all anemia and tumors.
The youngest to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine was Frederick Banting, who was awarded at 32 for discovering insulin.
The next scientific appointments are scheduled for October 6 with the announcement of the Nobel Prize for Physics and Wednesday 7 with the Nobel for Chemistry.