Breakthrough: Katalin Karikó and the mRNA Vaccine

by Stephanie Sammartino McPherson

An thorough and accessible biography of Dr. Katalin Karikó, winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, whose hard work pioneering mRNA research led to the COVID-19 vaccines. Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, scientist Katalin Karikó was one of the few people who believed in the potential of mRNA to help cells fight off disease. Breakthrough chronicles Karikó's relentless pursuit of knowledge and dedication to helping people, depicting her as an inspirational figure for readers interested in science. The book contextualizes Karikó's work within her upbringing in a small village in rural Hungary, the discrimination she faced as an immigrant and woman scientist, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Accessible descriptions of the science behind mRNA support the main narrative, and profiles of other significant figures in the development of the mRNA vaccine illustrate how scientific achievement is never earned alone.

Genres: Science

136 pages, Library Binding

Published November 7, 2023

About the author

Stephanie Sammartino McPherson wrote her first children's story in college. She enjoyed the process so much that she's never stopped writing. A former teacher and freelance newspaper writer, she has written twenty-eight books and numerous magazine stories. She especially enjoys writing about science and the human interest stories behind major discoveries.

Stephanie and her husband, Richard, live in Virginia but also call California home. They are the parents of two grown children.