Tu Youyou: Biography, Achievements & Lasting Legacy
Who Was Tu Youyou?
Tu Youyou (Chinese: 屠呦呦; pinyin: Tú Yōuyōu; born 30 December 1930) is a Nobel Prize-winning Chinese malariologist and pharmaceutical chemist. She discovered artemisinin (also known as qīnghāosù, 青蒿素) and dihydroartemisinin, used to treat malaria, a breakthrough in twentieth-century tropical medicine, saving millions of lives in South China, Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America.
For her work, Tu received the 2011 Lasker Award in clinical medicine and the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with William C. Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura. Tu is the first Chinese Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine and the first female citizen of the People's Republic of China to receive a Nobel Prize in any category. She is also the first Chinese person to receive the Lasker Award. Tu was born, educated and carried out her research exclusively in China.
Life and Career
Tu was bestowed the Medal of the Republic, the highest honorary medal of the People's Republic of China, in September 2019.
Key Facts
- Born: December 30, 1930 in Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- Field: Science
- Awards: China (2016) Order of the Republic, China (2019)
Legacy and Impact
The influence of Tu Youyou extends far beyond her own lifetime. She fundamentally shaped our understanding of the natural world, and her discoveries and theories remain foundational to this day.
Tu Youyou remains one of the most celebrated minds to emerge from China, a testament to the rich intellectual heritage of the region.
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