From Kisújszállás through the University of Szeged to world fame

The Life of Katalin Karikó in a Nutshell

She was born in Szolnok (17 January 1955. – ), she spent her childhood in Kisújszállás (1955 – 1973).

She studied biology at the University of Szeged (then known as the József Attila University of Szeged) (1973-1978). During her doctoral studies (1978-1982) she conducted research at the Szeged Biological Research Centre (BRC). She obtained her Ph.D. degree in biochemistry (1983) from the University of Szeged.

As a postdoctoral fellow of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, she started her first job at the Szeged Biological Research Centre (1982-1985).

With employment opportunities, she settled with her family in the United States of America. She gained further research experience in the Department of Biochemistry at Temple University, Philadelphia, and then at the Bethesda (MD) Research Center, northeast of Washington. (1985-1989).

She has worked as a lecturer and researcher in various departments at the University of Pennsylvania (1989-2013). Here she decided to make mRNA suitable for therapeutic purposes.

She started working with Drew Weissman in 1997. Their scientific discovery in 2005 was a milestone in mRNA research. Katalin Karikó is an assistant professor at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

She was co-founder and CEO (2006-2013) of RNARx, a company developing nucleoside-modified mRNA for therapeutic use.

She is the Senior Vice President of BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals, Germany (from 2013).

Founding member (2013) of the International mRNA Health Conference Planning Committee.

She was elected as a member of Academia Europaea (2020) then Honorary Doctor of the University of Szeged, of Duke University and Humanitaa University (2021). Katalin Karikó is a researcher-professor at the University of Szeged.

Katalin Karikó is the researcher who pioneered the creation of the mRNA vaccine to stop the Covid-19 pandemic. Her name has traveled the world, with media coverage of her life story, her research, and her dedication to helping save millions of lives.

Katalin Karikó holds 13 US patents. Her work is recognized (from 2020) with several medical awards and many, many honors.

Read our previous articles on the News Portal of the University of Szeged, visit the virtual exhibition of the SZTE Klebelsberg Library to learn about the life, work, awards, honours and achievements of Katalin Karikó, SZTE Alumna and researcher-professor of the University of Szeged!

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