Gerty Theresa Cori

{{jpg-image} Gerty Theresa Cori (August 15, 1896 – October 26, 1957) was a pioneering biochemist who, along with her husband Carl Ferdinand Cori, significantly advanced our understanding of the biochemical processes of living cells. In 1947, she became the third woman—and the first American woman—to win a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, which she shared with her husband and Argentine physiologist Bernardo Houssay, for their discovery of the course of the catalytic conversion of glycogen.

Early Life and Education

Gerty Theresa Radnitz was born in Prague, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, into a Jewish family. She was the daughter of Otto Radnitz, a chemist who managed a sugar refinery, and Martha Neustadt, a friend of the family. Inspired by her father, she developed an early interest in chemistry. Gerty attended the Karl-Ferdinands-Universität in Prague, where she received her Doctor of Medicine in 1920. It was there she met Carl Cori, whom she married in 1920. The couple moved to Vienna, where Gerty worked in a hospital and Carl attended medical school. In 1922, facing increasing antisemitism in Europe, they emigrated to the United States.

Career and Research

The Coris joined the staff of the State Institute for the Study of Malignant Diseases (now the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center) in Buffalo, New York, in 1922. Here, they began their collaborative research on the metabolic processes of the human body, focusing particularly on the metabolism of carbohydrates. Their work laid the foundation for understanding the biochemical mechanisms of gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis, and the Cori cycle—the process by which the body converts glycogen into glucose in the liver and muscle tissue, a critical discovery for understanding diabetes and other metabolic diseases. In 1931, the Coris moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where Gerty became a research associate and later a professor at the Washington University School of Medicine, despite facing significant gender discrimination. Here, they continued their groundbreaking work, which would eventually lead to Gerty Cori's Nobel Prize.

Nobel Prize and Later Years

In 1947, Gerty Cori was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, a landmark achievement that highlighted her contributions to biochemistry and medicine. Despite her achievements, she continued to face obstacles in her career due to her gender, but she remained dedicated to her research until her death in 1957 from myelosclerosis, a rare disease of the bone marrow.

Legacy

Gerty Cori's work has had a lasting impact on the fields of biochemistry and medicine. She broke barriers for women in science, becoming a role model for future generations. The Cori crater on the moon and the asteroid 6261 Cori are named in her honor, and her legacy is celebrated in various institutions around the world.

Selected Publications

• Cori, G.T., and Cori, C.F. (1929). "Glycogen Structure and Enzyme Deficiencies in Glycogen Storage Disease." This landmark paper detailed their discovery of the Cori cycle and laid the groundwork for future research into metabolic diseases.

See Also

• Carl Ferdinand Cori
• Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• Biochemistry
• Metabolism