Every year, the Nobel Prizes remind us that science isn’t just about lab coats and test tubes, it’s about curiosity, creativity, and courage.
From discovering how our immune system protects us, to developing the AI that powers the future, these brilliant minds have reshaped how we see the world. Here’s a look at the Nobel Prize winners in science from the past five years, and how their work has changed life as we know it. Nobel Prize 2025 winners name, fields, and achievements
Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi ( Physiology or Medicine) Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi were awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine
Awarded for: They were awarded for their discoveries about peripheral immune tolerance, how the body stops its immune system from attacking its own cells.They identified regulatory T-cells, the immune system’s “guardians,” which prevent harmful self-attacks and maintain balance within the body. Their work has been vital in understanding autoimmune diseases and immune regulation. Nobel Prize 2024 winners name, fields, and achievements
John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton (Physics) John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their pioneering work in machine learning and artificial neural networks.
Awarded for: Their research laid the foundation for the AI revolution, powering everything from language models to self-driving cars. They have developed the idea of science not just everything David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John M. Jumper (Chemistry) David Baker received half of the Chemistry Prize for his advancements in computational protein design, which helps scientists create new proteins for medicine.
Awarded for: Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper shared the other half for developing tools to predict protein structures, a breakthrough that changed how researchers study diseases and design drugs. Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun (Physiology or Medicine) Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun received the nobel prize in Physiology and medicine.Awarded for: They were honored for discovering microRNAs, small molecules that control how genes are expressed. Their work has opened new directions in genetic research and disease treatment. Nobel Prize 2023 winners name, fields, and achievements
Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus, and Alexei I. Ekimov (Chemistry) Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus, and Alexei I. Ekimov won the Chemistry Nobel in the year 2023.
Awarded for: They develop quantum dots, tiny nanoparticles that can emit light in vivid colors. These dots are now used in advanced displays, imaging, and even cancer research. Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman (Physiology or Medicine) Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman were awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.Awarded for: They received the Medicine Prize for discoveries that led to mRNA vaccines. Their work made the COVID-19 vaccines possible, saving millions of lives worldwide. Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier (Physics) The Nobel Prize for 2023 in Physics goes to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier.
Awarded for: They were awarded the Physics Prize for developing attosecond laser pulses, which allow scientists to capture the motion of electrons inside atoms, one of the fastest processes in nature. Nobel Prize 2022 winners name, fields, and achievements Svante Pääbo (Physiology or Medicine)
The Nobel prize in physiology or medicine 2022 has been awarded to Svante Pääbo.
Awarded for: He received the Medicine Nobel for mapping the genomes of extinct human species, revealing how modern humans share genes with Neanderthals and other ancient relatives. His work revolutionised the study of human evolution. Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, and K. Barry Sharpless (Chemistry) Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, and K. Barry Sharpless won the Chemistry Prize for creating click chemistry.
Awarded for: They created a simple and efficient method for joining molecules together, widely used in medicine and drug development. Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger (Physics) Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger were honored with the Physics Nobel.
Awarded for: Their experiments with quantum entanglement helped in proving that particles can remain connected across vast distances, a breakthrough for quantum computing and communication. Nobel Prize 2021 winners name, fields, and achievements David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian (Physiology or Medicine) David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian were awarded the Medicine Prize for discovering how our bodies sense temperature and touch.
Awarded for: They revealed the receptors that let us feel heat, cold, and pressure, key to understanding how the nervous system works. Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann, and Giorgio Parisi (Physics) Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann, and Giorgio Parisi received the Physics Prize for the year 2021.
Awarded for: They studied complex systems, including how the Earth’s climate changes and how we can predict global warming with scientific models. Benjamin List and David W.C. MacMillan (Chemistry) The Nobel prize in physiology or medicine 2021 has been awarded to Benjamin List and David W.C. MacMillan.
Awarded for: They won the Chemistry Nobel for developing asymmetric organocatalysis, a greener, faster way to build complex molecules, now widely used in pharmaceuticals and sustainable chemistry. What makes a Nobel winner Winning a Nobel Prize isn’t about one lucky discovery, it’s about changing how we understand the world. Scientists are selected based on: The legacy of discovery From unlocking the secrets of our immune system to designing the brains behind artificial intelligence, these Nobel laureates have expanded the frontiers of science.
Their work reminds us that every discovery, big or small, moves humanity one step closer to understanding the mysteries of life and the universe.
The post A look back at five years of Nobel Prize Winners:From medicine to physics, meet the world’s brilliant minds left a mark on human society appeared first on Tri-Cities India.