Peter Brian Medawar Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1960. Date of Birth: 28.02.1915 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Peter Brian Medawar
2. Early Career and Research
3. Contributions and Achievements
4. Legacy and Honors

Biography of Peter Brian Medawar

Peter Brian Medawar was an English biologist and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1960. Born on February 28, 1915, in Petrópolis, Brazil, his family moved to England in 1919. Medawar attended Marlborough College in 1928 and later Magdalen College, Oxford in 1932, where he studied zoology under the guidance of Professor Young.

Early Career and Research

After obtaining his Bachelor's degree, Medawar worked briefly in the pathology department. During this time, he was mentored by Sir Howard Florey and developed an interest in medicine. In 1935, he received a scholarship to continue his studies at Magdalen College and became a fellow of the college in 1938 after passing special exams. In 1944, he moved to St. John's College to work as a professor.

Medawar's early works focused on the regeneration of peripheral nerves and the mathematical analysis of changes that occur in the body during this process. During World War II, he worked in the burns unit at the Royal Infirmary in Glasgow. It was here that he encountered the problem of tissue transplantation, particularly the issue of graft rejection. His work led to the formulation of the "transplantation immunological theorem," which laid the foundation for his future research.

Contributions and Achievements

From 1947 to 1951, Medawar served as a professor at the University of Birmingham, where he continued his research in collaboration with R. Billingham. Their experiments supported Burnett's theory that the ability of the immune system to distinguish between self and non-self cells is acquired over time, rather than being innate. By grafting patches of skin from twin calves of different sexes, they demonstrated that the transplants were accepted even though the calves could not be identical twins.

In 1951, Medawar became a professor of zoology at University College London, and later served as the Director of the National Institute for Medical Research in London. Together with Rupert Billingham, he conducted a series of experiments involving the introduction of adult tissues into newborn mice, followed by the transplantation of donor tissues to recipient mice. These experiments showed that the tissues were not rejected.

In 1960, Medawar, along with Burnett, received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of acquired immunological tolerance. Throughout his career, Medawar also made significant contributions to the field of philosophy. He published his ideas on aging and natural death in his book "The Uniqueness of the Individual" in 1957.

Legacy and Honors

Peter Brian Medawar was recognized for his exceptional contributions to science and received numerous accolades. He was awarded the Royal Medal in 1959 and was elected as a foreign member of the New York Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. His works include "The Future of Man" (1960) and "The Life Science: Current Ideas of Biology" (1977).