Voting Station

Elizabeth Blackburn

Please vote to return to collections.

Scientist

The Resume

    (November 26, 1948- )
    Born in Hobart, Australia
    Winner of the 2009 Noble Prize in Medicine or Physiology
    Won for 'the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase'
    Shared prize with co-researchers Carol Greider and Jack Szostak
    BS & MS from the University of Melbourne and PhD from the University of Cambridge
    Taught at the University of California San Francisco
    Named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2007
    Native of Hobart, Tasmania
    First Australian woman to win a Nobel Prize
    Author of almost 150 journal articles, over 50 book reviews and holds 5 patents
    Winner of the Wiley Prize, the Albert Lasker Award, a National Academy of Science Award and the Louisa Gross Horowitz Prize among others

Why she might be annoying:

    She was fired from the President's Council on Bioethics for advocating the use of aborted fetuses in research.
    She used her high school chemistry lab to make fireworks.
    Her discovery of telomerase started with her studying pond scum.
    She used to sing to small animals she would catch when she was little, including poisonous jellyfish.
    Despite her incredible accomplishments, she still kicks about discrimination against women in science.

Why she might not be annoying:

    Telomerase helps maintain chromosomes. If this can be reversed, then out of control cell growths like cancer can be reversed.
    She worked very hard to mentor young scientists, especially young women.
    One of her mentorees is Carol Greider, with whom she shares her Nobel Prize.
    She is a charming and popular public speaker.
    She is an outstanding role model for young women everywhere.

Credit: tom_jeffords


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 13 Votes: 61.54% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 9 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 21 Votes: 52.38% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 13 Votes: 69.23% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 19 Votes: 47.37% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 55 Votes: 61.82% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 24 Votes: 45.83% Annoying