Gerty Cori, was born Gerty Theresa Radnitz in 1896 in Prague to Jewish parents. She was educated in Prague, eventually completing her medical studies and marrying her husband Ferdinand Cori in 1920. Two years later, the couple emigrated to the United States of America and obtained research positions in Buffalo, New York.
Working together on most projects, Gerty and Ferdinand became interested in carbohydrate metabolism, specifically the metabolism of glucose and the hormones involved in this process. Despite being encouraged not to work together, the couple continued carrying out their research as a team. Carl even refused a university position because he was told he would be not allowed to work with his wife. Together they published fifty papers, eventually winning a Nobel Prize for the discovery of the “Cori Cycle”. Gerty was the third woman to be awarded a Nobel prize in science, and the first woman to be awarded a Nobel prize in Physiology and Medicine. Gerty passed away in 1957, aged 61. Gerty is remembered as a pioneer as woman in science.
