Tu Youyou
Tu Youyou is a Chinese scientist who earned a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015. Tu Youyou’s discovery of artemisinin revolutionized malaria treatment and saved millions of lives worldwide. Through her research in traditional Chinese medicine, she identified a compound from sweet wormwood that effectively kills malaria parasites. The treatment using this compound is known as artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). Her findings were groundbreaking, as previous treatments faced increasing resistance from malaria strains. Despite initial skepticism, artemisinin-based therapies are now the global standard for malaria treatment. Tu’s work exemplifies how traditional knowledge, combined with modern science, can lead to transformative medical breakthroughs.
-Olivia
