Tu Youyou

Tu Youyou discovered Artemisinin as a treatment for malaria by researching ancient Chinese medical texts and identifying Artemisia annua, also known as sweet wormwood, which had been used in China around 400 AD to treat intermittent fevers.

Tu Youyou, a Chinese scientist and phytochemist, discovered the antimalarial substance qinghaosu, later known as artemisinin, a highly effective malaria-fighting drug. She was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2015 for her groundbreaking discoveries.

In 1951, Tu Youyou was accepted to Peking University to study medicine. This marked a significant milestone in her educational journey and laid the foundation for her future achievements.

In 1955, Tu Youyou graduated from Peking University School of Medicine (later known as Beijing Medical University). Her education and training in pharmaceutical sciences laid the groundwork for her future research in traditional Chinese medicine.

In 1967, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai convinced Mao Zedong to start Project 523 to develop a malaria treatment after President Ho Chi Minh of North Vietnam requested help for his soldiers suffering from a resistant form of malaria.

In 1969, at the age of 39, Tu Youyou had the idea to screen Chinese herbs for anti-malarial properties. She and her team discovered the effectiveness of sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua) in treating malaria, after experimenting with over 2,000 traditional Chinese recipes.

In 1971, Tu Youyou successfully isolated a compound called artemisinin, which showed promising results in combating malaria-friendly parasites. Tu tested the drug on herself before conducting trials on 21 patients in Hainan, all of whom recovered. Artemisinin was then widely used in China and Vietnam.

In 1972, Tu Youyou and her colleagues successfully isolated the active compound in sweet wormwood extracts, which they named qinghaosu or artemisinin. This discovery revolutionized malaria treatment and led to the development of artemisinin-based combination therapies.

In 1973, Tu Youyou successfully synthesized dihydroartemisinin, a more powerful and stable anti-malarial drug, in an attempt to confirm the carbonyl group in artemisinin.

Tu Youyou's groundbreaking work on artemisinin was published anonymously in 1977. Her research laid the foundation for the development of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) which are now the standard treatment for malaria.

In 1979, Tu Youyou discovered artemisinin, a drug derived from sweet wormwood, which has been instrumental in saving millions of lives from malaria. Her research findings were published in English and she was awarded the Nobel Prize for this groundbreaking discovery.

After the Chinese economic reform, Tu was promoted to a researcher at the Academy of Chinese Medicine in Beijing in 1980.

In 1981, Tu presented the findings related to artemisinin at a meeting with the World Health Organization, showcasing her groundbreaking work on malaria treatment.

In 2001, Tu was promoted to the position of academic advisor for doctorate candidates at the Academy of Chinese Medicine in Beijing.

As of 2007, Tu's office was situated in an old apartment building in Dongcheng District, Beijing.

In 2011, Tu Youyou was honored with the Lasker Award in clinical medicine for her significant contributions to the field, particularly in the treatment of malaria with artemisinin.

Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine on 5 October 2015 for her significant contributions to the field, particularly her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against malaria.

In June 2019, Tu Youyou and her research team advocated for the continued use of artemisinin as the most effective treatment against malaria, emphasizing its crucial role in combating the disease.

In March 2021, during Women's History Month, a tribute was paid to Tu Youyou. She is a renowned Chinese scientist known for her significant contributions to medicine, particularly in the field of malaria treatment.