Hungarian-born biochemist Katalin Karikó, whose decades of work with mRNA technology was instrumental in the development of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, will be awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Szeged, the institution said on Tuesday.
Karikó graduated from the University of Szeged with a degree in biology in 1978 and was the recipient of a state scholarship for three academic years, the university said in a statement.
She completed her PhD studies at the Szeged Biological Research Centre between 1978 and 1982, before continuing her career as a biochemist in the United States.
Lauding her “outstanding developmental work” and “exemplary innovative attitude”, the statement said the university’s senate had voted unanimously in favour of awarding Karikó the Doctor Honoris Causa title.
photo by University of Szeged
