Nobel Prizes In Medicine: Celebrating Animal Research

Animals have played a critical role in nearly every Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine — supporting breakthroughs that have shaped the future of human and animal health.

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine honors Drs. Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi discovering how the Foxp3 gene and regulatory T cells maintain immune balance and prevent the body from attacking itself. (Image credit: © Ill. Niklas Elmehed © Nobel Prize Outreach)

Breakthroughs Backed by Animal Science

2025 Nobel Prize: How Animal Research Unlocked Immunology’s Secrets

Animal research continues to fuel groundbreaking discoveries. In 2025, Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work with mice, which revealed how regulatory T cells and the Foxp3 gene prevent the immune system from attacking the body. Their findings laid the molecular foundation for novel therapies in autoimmune disease, transplantation, and cancer — another testament to the life-changing impact of ethical animal research.

Animal Model	Number of Nobel Prizes
Mice	42
Rats	31
Guinea Pigs	20
Dogs	18
Rabbits	18
Frogs	13
Cats	10
Birds	10
Cows	10
Flies	10
Monkeys	9
Horses	8

(Source: https://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/why/nobel-prize)

A Legacy of Scientific Excellence

Animal Models Behind 195 Nobel Prize Discoveries

Of the 232 Nobel Prize recipients in Physiology or Medicine, 195 conducted research involving animal models — highlighting their irreplaceable role in advancing science and medicine. From the first 1901 prize for a diphtheria vaccine developed in horses to recent breakthroughs in immunology using mice, animal studies have consistently driven Nobel-winning discoveries worldwide.

Did you know?

Of the 227 Nobel laureates in physiology or medicine, Americans represent the majority of awardees (104), followed by the U.K. (31) and Germany (17). See the nationality breakdown here.

A Legacy of Lifesaving Discoveries

Nobel-Winning Animal Research Through the Years

Year	Nobel Laureate	Animal Model	Contribution to Modern Medicine
2025	Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi	Mice	For their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance
2024	Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun	C. elegans	For the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation
2023	Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman	Mice	For their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19
2021	David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian	Mice	For their discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch
2020	Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice	Chimpanzees	For the discovery of the hepatitis C virus
2019	William G. Kaelin, Jr., MD, Gregg L. Semenza, MD, PhD, and Peter J. Ratcliffe, MD, FRS, FMedSci	Mice	Their groundbreaking research that has led to an understanding of how cells in the body adapt to changing oxygen availability.
2018	Dr. Tasuku Honjo and James P. Allison, PhD	Mice	For their discoveries in cancer therapy via inhibition of negative immune regulation
2017	Dr. Michael Rosbash, PhD, Jeffrey C. Hall, PhD, and Michael W. Young, PhD	Fruit flies	Their discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm
2016	Dr. Yoshinori Ohsumi	Mice	For his discoveries of mechanisms for autophagy
2015	William C. Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura & Youyou Tu	Mice, Dogs, Sheep, Cattle, Chickens, Monkeys	William C. Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites and Youyou Tu for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria
2014	John O'Keefe and May-Britt & Edvard I. Moser	Rats	Discoveries of cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain (an inner GPS)
2013	James E. Rothman, PhD and Thomas C. Südhof, PhD	Mice, Hamsters	For their discoveries of machinery regulating vesicle traffic, a major transport system in our cells
2012	Shinya Yamanaka	Frogs, Mice	For the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent
2012	Sir John B. Gurdon	Frogs, Mice	For the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent
2011	Bruce A. Beutler	Mice	Discoveries concerning the activation of innate immunity
2011	Jules A. Hoffmann	Flies	Discoveries concerning the activation of innate immunity
2011	Ralph M. Steinman	Mice	For his discovery of the dendritic cell and its role in adaptive immunity
2010	Robert G. Edwards	Rabbits	The development of in vitro fertilization
2009	Carol W. Greider	Protozoan, mouse, frog	Discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase
2009	Elizabeth H. Blackburn	Protozoan, mouse	Discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase
2009	Jack W. Szostak	Protozoan	Discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase
2008	Harald zur Hausen	Hamster, mouse, cow	Discovery of human papilloma viruses causing cervical cancer
2008	Françoise Barré-Sinoussi	Monkey, chimpanzee, mouse	Discovery of human immunodeficiency virus
2008	Luc Montagnier	Monkey, chimpanzee, mouse	Discovery of human immunodeficiency virus
2007	Mario R. Capecchi	Mouse	Discoveries of principles for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells
2007	Sir Martin J. Evans	Mouse, Chick	Discoveries of principles for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells
2007	Oliver Smithies	Mouse	Discoveries of principles for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells
2006	Andrew Z. Fire	Nematode roundworm	Discovery of RNA interference - gene silencing by double-stranded RNA
2006	Craig C. Mello	Nematode roundworm	Discovery of RNA interference - gene silencing by double-stranded RNA
2005	Barry J. Marshall	Piglet	Discovery of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori and its role in gastritis and peptic ulcer disease
2004	Richard Axel	Mouse, Drosophila (fruit flies)	Discoveries of odorant receptors and the organization of the olfactory system
2004	Linda B. Buck	Mouse	Discoveries of odorant receptors and the organization of the olfactory system"
2003	Paul C. Lauterbur	Clam, mouse, dog, rat, chimpanzee, pig, rabbit, frog	Discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
2003	Sir Peter Mansfield	Clam, mouse, dog, rat, chimpanzee, pig, rabbit, frog	Discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
2002	H. Robert Horvitz	Nematode	Genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death
2002	Sydney Brenner	Nematode	Genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death
2002	John E. Sulston	Nematode	Genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death
2001	Leland H. Hartwell	Sea urchin, frog	Discoveries of key regulators of the cell cycle
2001	Tim Hunt	Sea urchin, frog, Rabbit, Xenopus, Clam	Discoveries of key regulators of the cell cycle
2001	Sir Paul M. Nurse	Sea urchin, frog	Discoveries of key regulators of the cell cycle
2000	Arvid Carlsson	Sea slug, mouse	Discoveries in signal transduction in the nervous system
2000	Paul Greengard	Sea slug, mouse	Discoveries in signal transduction in the nervous system
2000	Eric R. Kandel	Sea slug, mouse	Discoveries in signal transduction in the nervous system
1999	Günter Blobel	Mouse, rat, dog	Discovery that proteins have intrinsic signals that govern their transport and localization in the cell
1998	Robert F. Furchgott	Rabbit	Regulation of blood pressure with nitric oxide (NO)
1998	Louis J. Ignarro	Rabbit	Regulation of blood pressure with nitric oxide (NO)
1998	Ferid Murad	Rabbit	Regulation of blood pressure with nitric oxide (NO)
1997	Stanley B. Prusiner	Mouse, hamster	Discovery of prions, a new biological principle of infection
1996	Peter C. Doherty	Mouse	Recognition of virus-infected cells by the immune system
1996	Rolf M. Zinkernagel	Mouse	Recognition of virus-infected cells by the immune system
1995	Edward B. Lewis	Fruit fly	Genetic control of early embryonic development
1995	Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard	Fruit fly	Genetic control of early embryonic development
1995	Eric F. Wieschaus	Fruit fly	Genetic control of early embryonic development
1994	Alfred G. Gilman	Rat, cow, rabbit, turkey	Discovery of G-proteins and the role of these proteins in signal transduction in cells
1994	Martin Rodbell	Rat, guinea pig, turkey	Discovery of G-proteins and the role of these proteins in signal transduction in cells
1993	Richard J. Roberts	Rats	Discoveries of split genes
1993	Phillip A. Sharp	Mice	Discoveries of split genes
1992	Edmond H. Fischer	Rabbit	Discoveries concerning reversible protein phosphorylation as a biological regulatory mechanism
1992	Edwin G. Krebs	Rabbit, Rat	Discoveries concerning reversible protein phosphorylation as a biological regulatory mechanism
1991	Erwin Neher	Frog	Chemical communication between cells
1991	Bert Sakmann	Frog	Chemical communication between cells
1990	Joseph E. Murray	Dog	Organ transplantation techniques
1990	E. Donnall Thomas	Dog	Organ transplantation techniques
1989	Harold E. Varmus	Chicken	Discovery of the cellular origin of retroviral oncogenes
1989	J. Michael Bishop	Chicken	Discovery of the cellular origin of retroviral oncogenes
1988	Sir James W. Black	Guinea pig, cat, dog, rat	Discoveries of important principles for drug treatment
1988	Gertrude B. Elion	Mice, dog, rabbit, monkey	Discoveries of important principles for drug treatment
1988	George H. Hitchings	Mice, rat, dog	Discoveries of important principles for drug treatment
1987	Susumu Tonegawa	Mouse embryo	Discovery of genetic principle for generation of antibody diversity
1986	Stanley Cohen	Mouse, chick, snake	Nerve growth factor and epidermal growth factor
1986	Rita Levi-Montalcini	Mouse, chick, snake	Nerve growth factor and epidermal growth factor
1985	Michael S. Brown	Rats	Discoveries concerning the regulation of cholesterol metabolism
1985	Joseph L. Goldstein	Rats	Discoveries concerning the regulation of cholesterol metabolism
1984	Niels K. Jerne	Mouse	Techniques of monoclonal antibody formation
1984	Georges J.F. Köhler	Mouse	Techniques of monoclonal antibody formation
1984	César Milstein	Mouse	Techniques of monoclonal antibody formation
1982	Sune K. Bergström	Rat, rabbit, guinea pig	Discovery of prostaglandins
1982	Bengt I. Samuelsson	Rat, rabbit, guinea pig	Discovery of prostaglandins
1982	John R. Vane	Rat, rabbit, guinea pig	Discovery of prostaglandins
1981	Roger W. Sperry	Cat, monkey	Discoveries concerning the functional specialization of the cerebral hemispheres
1981	David H. Hubel	Cat, monkey	Discoveries concerning information processing in the visual system
1981	Torsten N. Wiesel	Cat, monkey	Discoveries concerning information processing in the visual system
1980	Baruj Benacerraf	Mouse, guinea pig	Identification of histocompatibility antigens and mechanism of action
1980	Jean Dausset	Mouse, guinea pig	Identification of histocompatibility antigens and mechanism of action
1980	George D. Snell	Mouse, guinea pig	Identification of histocompatibility antigens and mechanism of action
1979	Allan M. Cormack	Pig	Development of computer assisted tomography (CAT scan)
1979	Godfrey N. Hounsfield	Pig	Development of computer assisted tomography (CAT scan)
1977	Roger Guillemin	Sheep, pig	Discoveries concerning the peptide hormone production of the brain
1977	Andrew V. Schally	Sheep, pig	Discoveries concerning the peptide hormone production of the brain
1977	Rosalyn Yalow	Sheep, pig	Development of radioimmunoassays of peptide hormones
1976	Baruch S. Blumberg	Chimpanzee	New mechanisms for the origin and dissemination of infectious diseases
1976	D. Carleton Gajdusek	Chimpanzee	New mechanisms for the origin and dissemination of infectious diseases
1975	David Baltimore	Monkey, horse, chicken, mouse	Interaction between tumor viruses and genetic material
1975	Renato Dulbecco	Monkey, horse, chicken, mouse	Interaction between tumor viruses and genetic material
1975	Howard Martin Temin	Monkey, horse, chicken, mouse	Interaction between tumor viruses and genetic material
1974	Albert Claude	Chicken, guinea pig, rat	Structural and functional organization of cells
1974	Christian de Duve	Chicken, guinea pig, rat	Structural and functional organization of cells
1974	George E. Palade	Chicken, guinea pig, rat	Structural and functional organization of cells
1973	Karl von Frisch	Bee, bird, fish	Organization of social and behavior patterns in animals
1973	Konrad Lorenz	Bee, bird, fish	Organization of social and behavior patterns in animals
1973	Nikolaas Tinbergen	Bee, bird, fish	Organization of social and behavior patterns in animals
1972	Gerald M. Edelman	Guinea pig, rabbit	Chemical structure of antibodies
1972	Rodney R. Porter	Guinea pig, rabbit	Chemical structure of antibodies
1971	Earl W. Sutherland, Jr.	Mammalian liver	Mechanism of the actions of hormones
1970	Sir Bernard Katz	Cat, rat	Mechanism of storage and release of nerve transmitters
1970	Ulf von Euler	Cat, rat	Mechanism of storage and release of nerve transmitters
1970	Julius Axelrod	Cat, rat	Mechanism of storage and release of nerve transmitters
1968	Robert W. Holley	Rat	Interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis
1968	Har Gobind Khorana	Rat	Interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis
1968	Marshall W. Nirenberg	Guinea pig	Interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis
1967	Ragnar Granit	Chicken, rabbit, fish, crab	Primary physiological and chemical processes of vision
1967	Haldan Keffer Hartline	Chicken, rabbit, fish, crab	Primary physiological and chemical processes of vision
1967	George Wald	Chicken, rabbit, fish, crab	Primary physiological and chemical processes of vision
1966	Peyton Rous	Rat, rabbit, hen	Discovery of tumor-inducing viruses
1966	Charles Brenton Huggins	Rat, rabbit, hen	Discoveries concerning hormonal treatment of prostatic cancer
1964	Konrad Bloch	Rat	Regulation of cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism
1964	Feodor Lynen	Rat	Regulation of cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism
1963	Sir John Carew Eccles	Cat, frog, squid, crab	Ionic mechanisms involved in excitation and inhibition in the peripheral and central portions of the nerve cell membrane
1963	Alan Lloyd Hodgkin	Cat, frog, squid, crab	Ionic mechanisms involved in excitation and inhibition in the peripheral and central portions of the nerve cell membrane
1963	Andrew Fielding Huxley	Cat, frog, squid, crab	Ionic mechanisms involved in excitation and inhibition in the peripheral and central portions of the nerve cell membrane
1961	Georg von Békésy	Guinea pig	Physical mechanism of stimulation within the cochlea
1960	Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet	Rabbit	Discovery of acquired immunological tolerance
1960	Peter Brian Medawar	Rabbit	Discovery of acquired immunological tolerance
1957	Daniel Bovet	Dog, rabbit	Production of synthetic compounds and their action on the vascular system and skeletal muscles
1955	Axel Hugo Theodor Theorell	Horse	Nature and mode of action of oxidation enzymes
1954	John Franklin Enders	Monkey, mouse	Culture of poliovirus that led to development of vaccine
1954	Thomas Huckle Weller	Monkey, mouse	Culture of poliovirus that led to development of vaccine
1954	Frederick Chapman Robbins	Monkey, mouse	Culture of poliovirus that led to development of vaccine
1953	Hans Adolf Krebs	Pigeon	Discovery of the citric acid cycle
1953	Fritz Albert Lipmann	Pigeon	Discovery of co-enzyme A and its importance in intermediary metabolism
1952	Selman Abraham Waksman	Guinea pig	Discovery of streptomycin, the first effective antibiotic against tuberculosis
1951	Max Theiler	Monkey, mouse	Development of yellow fever vaccine
1950	Edward Calvin Kendall	Cow	Antiarthritic role of adrenal hormones
1950	Tadeus Reichstein	Cow	Antiarthritic role of adrenal hormones
1950	Philip Showalter Hench	Cow	Antiarthritic role of adrenal hormones
1949	Walter Rudolf Hess	Cat	Functional organization of the brain as a coordinator of internal organs
1949	Antonio Caetano de Abreu Freire Egas Moniz	Cat	Discovery of the therapeutic value of leucotomy in certain psychoses
1947	Carl Ferdinand Cori	Frog, toad, dog	Catalytic conversion glycogen
1947	Gerty Theresa Cori, née Radnitz	Frog, toad, dog	Catalytic conversion glycogen
1947	Bernardo Alberto Houssay	Frog, toad, dog	Role of pituitary in sugar metabolism
1945	Sir Alexander Fleming	Mouse	Discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various infectious diseases
1945	Ernst Boris Chain	Mouse	Discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various infectious diseases
1945	Sir Howard Walter Florey	Mouse	Discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various infectious diseases
1944	Joseph Erlanger	Cat	Specific functions of nerve cells
1944	Herbert Spencer Gasser	Cat	Specific functions of nerve cells
1943	Henrik Carl Peter Dam	Rat, dog, chick, mouse	Discovery of function of Vitamin K
1943	Edward Adelbert Doisy	Rat, dog, chick, mouse	Discovery of function of Vitamin K
1939	Gerhard Domagk	Mouse, rabbit	Antibacterial effects of prontosil
1938	Corneille Jean François Heymans	Dog	Role of the sinus and aortic mechanisms in regulation of respiration
1936	Sir Henry Hallett Dale	Cat, frog, bird, reptile	Chemical transmission of nerve impulses
1936	Otto Loewi	Cat, frog, bird, reptile	Chemical transmission of nerve impulses
1935	Hans Spemann	Newt, frog	Organizer effect in embryonic development
1934	George Hoyt Whipple	Dog	Liver therapy for anemia
1934	George Richards Minot	Dog	Liver therapy for anemia
1934	William Parry Murphy	Dog	Liver therapy for anemia
1932	Sir Charles Scott Sherrington	Dog, cat	Function of neurons
1932	Edgar Douglas Adrian	Dog, cat	Function of neurons
1929	Christiaan Eijkman	Chicken	Discovery of antineuritic and growth stimulating vitamins
1929	Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins	Chicken	Discovery of antineuritic and growth stimulating vitamins
1928	Charles Jules Henri Nicolle	Monkey, guinea pig, rat, mouse	Pathogenesis of typhus
1924	Willem Einthoven	Dog	Mechanism of the electrocardiogram
1923	Frederick Grant Banting	Dog, rabbit, fish	Discovery of insulin and mechanism of diabetes
1923	John James Richard Macleod	Dog, rabbit, fish	Discovery of insulin and mechanism of diabetes
1922	Archibald Vivian Hill	Frog	Discovery relating to the production of heat in the muscle
1920	Schack August Steenberg Krogh	Frog	Discovery of capillary motor regulating mechanism
1919	Jules Bordet	Guinea pig, horse, rabbit	Mechanisms of immunity
1913	Charles Robert Richet	Dog, rabbit	Mechanisms of anaphylaxis
1912	Alexis Carrel	Dog, cat	Surgical advances in the suture and grafting of blood vessels
1910	Albrecht Kossel	Bird	Knowledge of cell chemistry through work on proteins, including nuclear substances
1908	Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov	Bird, fish, guinea pig	Immune reactions and functions of phagocytes
1908	Paul Ehrlich	Bird, fish, guinea pig	Immune reactions and functions of phagocytes
1907	Charles Louis Alphonse Laveran	Bird	Role of protozoa as cause of disease
1906	Camillo Golgi	Dog, horse	Characterization of the central nervous system
1906	Santiago Ramón y Cajal	Dog, horse	Characterization of the central nervous system
1905	Robert Koch	Cow, sheep	Studies of pathogenesis of tuberculosis
1904	Ivan Petrovich Pavlov	Dog	Animal responses to various stimuli
1902	Ronald Ross	Pigeon	Understanding of malaria life cycle
1901	Emil Adolf von Behring	Guinea pig	Development of diphtheria antiserum

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