Rosalyn Yalow - Scientist With A Fighting Spirit

Book excerpt: Rosalyn Sussman Yalow, the second American woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, born in 1921 in New York city, USA, of poor Jewish parents, Clara and Simon Sussman. Due to her talents, firm determination, she overcome many difficulties in obtaining her Ph.D. degree in Physics in 1945, from Illinois University, USA. Although she was a student of Nuclear Physics but she made profound contribution in the field of Physiological Sciences. With the joint collaboration of another talented Physician, Solomon Berson, they did ground breaking research for a period of 22 years and developed an authentic technique known as radioimmunoassay, RIA., for the treatment of Type II diabetes and other critical diseases, In 1977, Yalow received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her and Berson’s development of RIA. Yalow received the award without Berson, who died in 1972. Despite her outstanding scientific career, Prof. Yalow incorporated her home life wherever she could in her work life. She married Yaron Yalow, fellow colleague, had two wonderful children, Benjamin and Elenna and had a Laboratory for the expression of her ideas in the Scientific World. She was not a feminist but emphasized the need of women Scientist to come forward and pursue advanced education and research.