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Rolf M. Zinkernagel
Scientist

Rolf M. Zinkernagel

Famoose for

Discovering with Peter Doherty how immune cells recognise infected cells.

Cell recognition

Born
6 January 1944
Birthplace
Riehen

More people

Florence NightingaleHelping establish modern professional nursing.Alexander FlemingDiscovering penicillin’s antibacterial effect.Edward JennerDeveloping smallpox vaccination using material from cowpox.

Rolf M. Zinkernagel

Rolf Zinkernagel is a Swiss immunologist who shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Peter Doherty.

Early life

Medical studies

Grew up in Riehen near Basel and completed his medical board examinations in 1968. He later earned a doctorate at the Australian National University.

Career

  1. 1970s

    Immunology research

    Collaborated with Doherty in Australia.

  2. 1995

    Lasker Award

    Received recognition for the work.

  3. 1996

    Nobel Prize

    Shared the medicine prize.

Contributions

Cell recognition

Helped show that T-cell recognition depends on both viral material and the host cell’s own molecules.

Beyond research

Family and interests

He married fellow medical student Kathrin in 1968. His interests have included cabinet-making, metalwork and mountain outings with the Swiss Alpine Club.

Sources & photo creditBiography and career ↗Biographical references ↗Additional biographical or research source ↗

Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.

Photo: Aasemsj. CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.