Tu Youyou
Awards & Honours
7
Awards Won
6
Honours
7
Rankings
6
Covers
3
Records
Tu Youyou's discovery of artemisinin stands as one of the most significant medical breakthroughs of the 20th century. She is the first Chinese woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first Chinese citizen to receive the Lasker Award. Her work has saved millions of lives, with artemisinin-based combination therapies reducing global malaria mortality by over 60% since 2000. She was elected to the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2015 and has received China's highest civilian honor, the Medal of the Republic. Her legacy is one of selfless dedication to science and humanity.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering
Elected as an academician after her Nobel win.
Asteroid 31231 Tu Youyou
Asteroid 31231 (1996 VT2) renamed in her honor.
Honorary Professor
Appointed honorary professor.
Honorary Doctorate
Awarded honorary doctorate.
Honorary Doctorate
Awarded honorary doctorate.
Statue in Ningbo
Statue unveiled in her hometown.
Rankings & Lists
Time 100 Most Influential People
BBC 100 Women
Nature 10 People Who Mattered in Science
The Guardian 100 Most Influential Women in History
The Lancet 100 Most Influential People in Global Health
Scientific American 50 Most Influential Scientists in History
Nature 100 Most Influential Scientists of All Time
Magazine Covers
Time
October 12, 2015
The Nobel Prize: Tu Youyou
Nature
October 8, 2015
The Woman Who Beat Malaria
Science
January 2016
Tu Youyou: The Pioneer of Artemisinin
The Lancet
March 2016
Tu Youyou: A Life in Science
China Daily
September 2019
The Republic's Medal: Tu Youyou
National Geographic
December 2020
The Woman Who Saved Millions
Records & Feats
First Chinese woman to win a Nobel Prize
Tu Youyou became the first Chinese woman from mainland China to win a Nobel Prize in any category.
First Chinese citizen to win the Lasker Award
She was the first Chinese citizen to receive the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award.
Discovery that reduced global malaria mortality by over 60%
Artemisinin-based combination therapies, derived from her discovery, helped reduce global malaria mortality by over 60% between 2000 and 2020.