A Long Tradition of Groundbreaking Medical Research

Since 1901, the Nobel Prize has been awarded annually for achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, peace and, later, economics. The University of Chicago Medicine is proud to have been affiliated with 12 winners of this prestigious award.

The prize in Physiology or Medicine is given to those who, during the preceding year, "shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind" or who "shall have made the most important discovery within the domain of physiology or medicine."

Read more about the Nobel laureates and their accomplishments below.

All Nobel Laureate photographs on this page are copyright (c) 1999 The Nobel Foundation.

Bruce Beutler, 2011

"For ... discoveries concerning the activation of innate immunity."

MD, Pritzker School of Medicine, 1981

 

Read more about Bruce Beutler

Roger Sperry, 1981

"For his discoveries concerning the functional specialization of the cerebral hemispheres."

PhD, Zoology, 1941 Assistant Professor of Anatomy, 1946-53

 

Read more about Roger Sperry

George Wald, 1967

"For ... discoveries concerning the primary physiological and chemical visual processes in the eye."

Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Physiology, 1934

 

Read more about George Wald

Charles Brenton Huggins, 1966

"For his discoveries concerning hormonal treatment of prostatic cancer." 

William B. Ogden Distinguished Service Professor, 1962-1997

Director and Founder of the Ben May Department for Cancer Research, 1951-1971

Professor of Surgery, 1936-1962
Associate Professor, 1933-1936
Assistant Professor, 1929-1933
Instructor, 1927-1929

Read more about Charles B. Huggins

Konrad E. Bloch, 1964

"For ... discoveries concerning the mechanism and regulation of the cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism."

Professor of Biochemistry, 1950-1954
Associate Professor, 1948-50
Assistant Professor, 1946-48

Read more about Konrad Bloch

Sir John Eccles, 1963

"For ... discoveries concerning the ionic mechanisms involved in excitation and inhibition in the peripheral and central portions of the nerve cell membrane."

Faculty, Institute of Biomedical Research, 1966-1968

Lecturer, Department of Physiology, 1966

 

Read more about Sir John Eccles

James Dewey Watson, 1962

"For ... discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nuclear acids and its significance for information transfer in living material."

BSc, Zoology, 1947

Read more about James Watson

George Wells Beadle, 1958

"For ... discovery that genes act by regulating definite chemical events."

Professor Emeritus, 1975-1989
William E. Wrather Distinguished Service Professor, 1969-75
Trustee, 1968-71; Honorary Trustee, 1971-1989
President and Trustee of the University, 1961-68
Professor of Biology, 1961-68

Read more about George Beadle

Edward Lawrie Tatum, 1958

"For their discovery that genes act by regulating definite chemical events."

AB, Chemistry, 1931

 

Read more about Edward Tatum

Hermann Joseph Muller, 1946

"For the discovery of the production of mutations by means of X-ray irradiation."

Associate Professor of Physiology, 1925
Staff, Manhattan Project, 1942-1943

Read more about Hermann J. Muller

Edward Adelbert Doisy, 1943

"For his discovery of the chemical nature of vitamin K."

Lecturer in Medicine, 1940

 

Read more about Edward A. Doisy

Alexis Carrel, 1912

"In recognition of his work on vascular suture and the transplantation of blood vessels and organs." 

Postdoctoral research, Department of Physiology, 1904-1905

Read more about Alexis Carrel
Bruce A. Beutler, The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2011
Roger W. Sperry, The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1981
George Wald, The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1967
Charles B. Huggins, The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1966
Konrad Bloch, The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1964
Sir John Eccles, The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1963
James Watson, The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1962
George Beadle, The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1958
Edward Tatum, The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1958
Hermann J. Muller, The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1946
Edward A. Doisy, The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1943
Alexis Carrel, The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1912

Why Choose UChicago Medicine

We are advancing the forefront of health every day by bringing research to reality and advanced care closer to our patients. Welcome to the forefront.

Debra Albert, Sr. VP Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer, speaks as UChicago Medicine celebrates receiving Magnet Recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center during a conference call in the lobby of the Center for Care and Discovery April 26, 2018
Awards & Accreditations
Ankur Shah, MD, Farah Hasan, MD, Patient Byron Thoren, Murtuza Rampurwala, MD and Stephen Bennett, MD at the University of Chicago Medicine for Advanced Care at Orland Park
Care Closer to Home
Two UChicago Medicine Day of Service and Reflection (DOSAR) volunteers performing gardening tasks
Community Engagement
Dr. Roderick Tung in his Arrhythmia Technology Suite in Bernard A. Mitchell Hospital on the University of Chicago campus in Chicago, IL
Expertise & Experience
South Loop family medicine physician, Cindy Iglesias, MD, smiling at her new patient, a baby
Quality & Safety
Suzanne Conzen, MD, doing work in a lab at the Comprehensive Cancer Center
Research & Innovation
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Awards & Accreditations

UChicago Medicine is continually recognized as a leader in medicine — both in patient care and research.

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Community Engagement

UChicago Medicine is committed to improving health and wellness in the 12 ZIP codes where our neighbors live, work, learn and play. Through valued partnerships, UChicago Medicine leverages the strengths and talents of existing community relationships to address chronic conditions and other complex health needs on Chicago's historic South Side.

Examples of Our Community Impact

Expertise & Experience

UChicago Medicine is one of the nation's leading academic medical institutions. We have been at the forefront of medical care since 1927, when we first opened to patients.

Quality & Safety

At UChicago Medicine, providing highly effective, safe patient care is central to everything we do. Here, teams of experts work together to ensure we follow the highest standards for quality care — from preventing infections and continuously improving surgical care to achieving high success rates and patient volumes for even the most complex procedures.

Research & Innovation

UChicago Medicine is home to physicians who are pioneers in their fields, bringing research to reality and making the extraordinary possible. From breakthroughs in immunotherapy to game-changing orthopaedics, we bring you the most advanced health care treatments.

Bringing Research to Reality

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Our research helps health care professionals around the world better treat diseases, conditions and disorders.

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News from UChicago Medicine

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Donald W. King, former Dean of Biological Sciences, 1927—2018
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University of Chicago Medicine pathologist Anthony Montag talks to medical students in 2015.
Pathologist Tony Montag, 1954-2018
At the Forefront Live: Lung Cancer, with Jyoti Patel, MD, D. Kyle Hogarth, MD, and interviewer, Tim Brown
At the Forefront Live: Lung Cancer
Biophysics faculty, 1964
Robert Uretz, former professor and dean, 1924-2018
Ingalls Outpatient facility in Harvey
World-class advanced heart failure, arrhythmia care now available at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial in Harvey, Ill.
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UChicago receives $3.22 million to study alcohol abuse and aggression
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UChicago Medicine only academic medical center in city with 14 consecutive A’s from Leapfrog Group