Schools

Yale Professor Wins 2013 Nobel Prize for Medicine

James Rothman is one of three recipients recognized for his work in cell transportation systems.

By Ronald DeRosa

A Yale University professor and two others have been awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize for their work in medicine on how hormones transport inside and outside cells.

The recipients this year are James E. Rothman, Yale's chairman in the Department of Cell Biology, Randy W. Schekman, a professor at UCLA Berkeley, and Thomas C. Südhof, professor at Stamford University. 

The Nobel Assembly in Sweden said the three professors "have solved the mystery of how the cell organizes its transport system." The Hartford Courant reported that the three men mapped out one of the body's critical networks that uses tiny bubbles known as vesicles to ferry chemicals such as insulin within cells.

Nobel has broken down their work in a visual press release, which you can see here.

"Through their discoveries, Rothman, Schekman and Südhof have revealed the exquisitely precise control system for the transport and delivery of cellular cargo," the Nobel organization said. "Disturbances in this system have deleterious effects and contribute to conditions such as neurological diseases, diabetes, and immunological disorders."

Rothman, a professor at Yale since 2008, has been honored by several universities and institutions in the past, his profile on Yale's website details.

The Nobel prize in medicine kicked off this year's award announcements, and each of the three men will earn a portion of the $1 million prize, the Associated Press reported.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here