As the second wave of Covid-19 sweeps through, many experts believe that a safe and effective vaccine is a ray of hope to repel the pandemic.
On November 23, Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced that the vaccine that the two units jointly produced was 70% effective, and low doses were 90% effective.
The British government has pre-ordered 100 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine.
Behind the success of the AstraZeneca vaccine are the efforts of two female professors Sarah Gilbert and Catherine Green, who lead the research team at the Jenner Institute, Oxford University.
Despite leading a potentially life-changing discovery, Professor Gilbert, 58, is modest about the achievement.
Mrs. Gilbert’s passion for medicine began while studying at Kettering High School.
Gilbert went to Oxford University in 1994, becoming a lecturer in vaccination in 2004. In 2010, she joined the Jenner Institute and soon became admired by her colleagues.
`Sarah Gilbert is wonderful to talk to the media. She is truly an expert, answering questions clearly and honestly. It’s a pleasure to work with her,` Susanna Dunachie,
Professor Sarah Gilbert at Oxford University.
But Ms. Gilbert said the process of coming to the vaccine was a fate.
Her contributions are highly appreciated in the scientific world.
Professor Gilbert is considered a `new breeze` in the scientific research industry, which is dominated by men.
Professor Gilbert has three children.
Despite her unique field of work, she is no stranger to the difficulties that a working woman faces.
`Because I’m giving birth to triplets, the daycare fee will be higher than the monthly income of a scientist. Therefore, my husband has to sacrifice his career to take care of the children,` she shared.
Although not as famous as Professor Gilbert, Professor Catherine Green also contributed greatly to the success of the Oxford vaccine.
Since completing his courses, Professor Green has accumulated quite an impressive resume.
Currently, Catherine Green is a professor of Chromosome Dynamics at Oxford University.
Green began researching the Covid-19 vaccine with a team of experts at the Jenner Institute in January this year.
Professor Sarah Gilbert, University of Oxford.
After news of the vaccine’s success, Green expressed gratitude to his entire research team.
Oxford’s vaccine is developed based on vector technology.
The contributions of two professors help the world redefine the role of women in medical research and development.
Katherine Johnson, the American mathematician who contributed to the decision algorithms for the Apollo 11 mission, was ignored for many years.