Female Scientist Finally Gets Her Due – A Nobel Prize
October 7, 2008
by Amy Siskind
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Francoise Barre-Sinoussi was one of three European scientists awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine yesterday. Half the prize will be split between Barre-Sinoussi, a French virologist, and another French Scientist for discovering HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. An American Virologist who has claimed co-credit for the discovery, was not honored.
One of The New Agenda’s co-founders, Dr. Nancy Hopkins, had some unique insight into the situation:
This woman discovered the AIDS virus. It was daring, courageous, and potentially dangerous work because one did not know if the virus could infect the scientists who worked with infected tissue samples back then. She got very little credit or visibility for years while two men – one American and one French – claimed to have discovered the virus and were showered with recognition and awards. For example, the two men won the prestigious Lasker award for discovering the virus while she was left out. So it is a miracle that she was finally recognized by the Nobel committee. I am so happy I can’t tell you. I left the field of cancer research and virology because it was almost impossible for women to be recognized for their work in those fields back then. Her story was one that was particularly discouraging to me as a young scientist. It is so great to see this happen now.
Thank you to Nancy for sharing her story. And The New Agenda salutes Dr. Barre-Sinoussi for her important work for mankind. And we are all so pleased that this woman finally got her due!
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2008: Press Release.
To watch Francoise Barre-Sinoussi talk about her work discovering the AIDS virus click here.
Gretchen Carlson
Claudia Poccia
Jacki Zehner
Cheers for Dr. Barre-Sinoussi!
Now if only Rosalind Franklin could get credit for the work she did that helped Watson and Crick solve the mystery of DNA structure. She had the misfortune of dying before Watson and Crick shared the Nobel and they don’t give Nobels to the deceased. Somehow I’ve always believed she would have been left out if she had lived. Read what Watson wrote about Franklin if you need an example of sexism.
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