Rosalyn Sussman Yalow American biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate in physiology or medicine, 1977 (together with R. Guillemin and E. Challey). Date of Birth: 19.07.1921 Country: USA

Biography of Rosalyn Sussman Yalow

Rosalyn Sussman Yalow was an American biophysicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1977. Born to first-generation immigrant parents, Simon and Clara Sussman, she did not have access to higher education. However, her parents ensured that she and her siblings received the best education possible. Yalow learned to read even before starting school and would visit the public library every week with her older brother since there were no books at home.

Her interest in chemistry was sparked by her excellent teacher, Mr. Mondazek, in high school. In the late 1930s, physics, especially nuclear physics, was one of the most advanced fields of science. Yalow was inspired by Marie Curie and other female scientists of the time and dreamed of a career in physics. However, her family believed that becoming a school teacher would be a better choice for her. Despite the belief that it was nearly impossible for a woman to receive a scholarship to study physics, her professors, including Professor Herbert N. Otis, encouraged her to pursue further education.

In September 1940, Yalow was hired as a secretary to Dr. Rudolf Schoenheimer, a leading biochemist at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. This job allowed her to complete her studies, and in January 1941, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree. She became an assistant in physics at the University of Illinois in mid-February 1941. During the summer months, she took additional physics courses at New York University. When she started at the University of Illinois in September 1941, she was the only woman among 400 students. Despite the challenges, she excelled in her studies.

During the war, many male students were drafted into the military, which allowed Yalow to attend the university. She met Aaron Yalow on her first day of school, and they got married in 1943. Yalow's first year of study was challenging because there were no male students in her class at Hunter College. Additionally, the college introduced physics teaching only in September 1940 when she was already an upper-class student. She had to work hard to catch up on her knowledge and also had to teach physics to first-year students as part of her contract.

After defending her doctoral dissertation in nuclear physics in January 1945, Yalow worked as an engineering assistant at the Federal Telecommunications Laboratory in New York and became the only female engineer there. When the research group she worked with left New York in 1946, she returned to Hunter College to teach physics to war veterans. Her husband started working at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx in September 1945, and through him, she met Dr. Edith Quimby, a renowned physicist and physician. Yalow began working in Quimby's laboratory, where she met Dr. Rosvita Failla, who helped her secure a consulting position at the Veterans Administration Hospital in the Bronx. Yalow continued teaching at Hunter College until the spring semester of 1950.

Yalow and Dr. Solomon A. Berson conducted groundbreaking research on using isotopes to measure changes in blood volume, clinical diagnosis of thyroid diseases, and the development of radioimmunoassay methods. They developed a radioimmunoassay technique that used radioactive substances to measure the concentration of various substances in the blood plasma and tissues. They applied this method to measure hormone levels, including insulin levels in patients with diabetes. Their findings challenged existing theories and led to new understandings in the medical field.

In 1977, Yalow was awarded half of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for the development of radioimmunoassays of peptide hormones." The other half was shared by Roger Guillemin and Andrew V. Schally. Yalow received numerous other awards throughout her career, including the Albert Lasker Award in Medicine, the A. Cressy Morrison Prize in Natural Sciences, and the Eli Lilly Award, among others.

Yalow's contributions to science have greatly impacted the field of medicine, particularly in the development of diagnostic techniques. Her work in radioimmunoassay has revolutionized the measurement of hormone levels in the human body. Yalow continued to dedicate herself to research until her death on May 30, 2011, leaving behind a significant legacy in the field of biophysics.