“Every scientist dreams of doing something that can help the world”
Tu was a Chinese scientist who skillfully combined ancient Chinese practices with contemporary modern medicine to achieve breakthroughs in the scientific world. Her most notable breakthrough being finding the cure for Malaria. As a graduate from Peking University in China, Tu graduated with a degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1955. Her career is distinct and her innovation and humility, as well as dedication to medical research set her apart.
In her early life, Tu was faced with several challenges. Contracting tuberculosis during her high school years put her education at a standstill for two years, but this only fueled her interest in medicine. It sparked a fire in her, and pushed her desire to cure others from diseases similar to what she had. During her study at Peking University, she primarily focused on pharmacognosy, which is the practice of deriving medicinal drugs from plants and other natural sources. She was known as a brilliant student, set apart by her attention to detail and advanced problem solving. After college, Tu was assigned to the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. Here, she would practice identifying active ingredients in a variety of different medicinal plants used in ancient Chinese medicine.
Yet, around her things seemed to be taking a turn for the worse. During the 1960-1970’s, Malaria ran rampant through the southern parts of China, and affected many worldwide. A cure was desperately needed, as Malaria became resistant to its previous conventional treatments. In 1967, Tu would be asked to join a secret government project, codenamed “Project 523” who’s primary objective was to find a cure for Malaria. Tu was appointed head of Project 523, putting great stress on her, as the need for a cure was urgent. Around this time, China was also at war, and Malaria caused great losses for the military population. There was an undeniable and desperate need for a cure.
Project 523 put themselves on the frontlines of the outbreak, traveling to Hanin Island, where they witnessed the devastating effects of Malaria firsthand. This motivated Tu and her team of researchers even more, and led them to work tirelessly to find a cure. While researching old texts, her team found a reference to sweet wormwood from 400 AD, which was used to treat intermittent fevers; a common symptom of Malaria. The team managed to extract an active compound in the wormwood which seemed promising, but it was futile, as it eventually proved useless. Unrelenting, Tu returned to the ancient texts and approached her extraction from a new method; she used lower heat to extract the artemisinin to ensure no damage to the compound, finding that it now had a 100% success rate. She had done it.
Project 523’s accomplishment was groundbreaking, and earned Tu a Nobel Peace Prize, making her the first Chinese woman who held this award in a scientific field. She also earned an award in the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research award, the highest honor given by this facility. But, these did not come without sacrifice. Tu had to give up raising her children, putting her 4 year old in a nursery and 1 year old in her mothers care. It would be 3 years before she was able to see her children again, as her work remained a top priority for her and for the wellbeing of the people of China. She showed immense dedication to her work by offering herself up as the first human test subject of the artemisinin, and her team members followed suit.
Perhaps the most admirable part of Tu was her character. Throughout her career, she remained humble, and praised her team and ancient Chinese medicine instead of basking in the limelight. Tu also remained at her institution, and continued to work there and contribute to cures of many other diseases. Her dedication, humility, and pursuit of knowledge solidify her as an inspiration for women who aim to pursue a career in STEM.
Works Cited
“Tu Youyou.” NobelPrize.org, Nobel Media AB, 2015. Web. Accessed 13 June 2024. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2015/tu/biographical/.
Cyranoski, David. “Chinese Scientist Wins Nobel for Malaria Drug.” Nature, Nature Publishing Group, 5 Oct. 2015. Web. Accessed 13 June 2024. https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2015.18449.
Jabr, Ferris. “The Woman Who Made Malaria Medicine Possible.” Smithsonian Magazine, Smithsonian Institution, Jan. 2012. Web. Accessed 13 June 2024. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-woman-who-made-malaria-medicine-possible-73844253/.
About the Author
Hello! My name is Ariana, and I am a rising senior at Mililani High School in Hawaii. I plan to major in Comp. Sci, but I have always loved writing and creating for things that I am passionate about. I am constantly inspired by researching people and ideas that impact the world today.
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