Scientists From Minnesota
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Minnesota has produced a number of Scientists who have made it big. These include Melvin Calvin, John Lilly, Randy Schekman, Peter Agre, Brian Kobilka and others.
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1
John Lilly
(Physician, Neuroscientist, Psychoanalyst and Inventor of 'Isolation Tank')
Birthdate: January 6, 1915
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Died: September 30, 2001
Born to rich Catholic parents, John Lilly spent his childhood treating science as a hobby. While studying medicine, he performed gruelling medical experiments on himself. He later invented isolating floatation tanks, studied bottlenose dolphins, and researched on psychedelic drug-induced near-death experiences. He also explored yoga and human consciousness.
Birthdate: April 8, 1911
Sun Sign: Aries
Died: January 8, 1997
The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Melvin Calvin earned scholarships to fund his studies and eventually earned a PhD in chemistry from the University of Minnesota. The University of California, Berkeley professor later won a Nobel for co-discovering the Calvin cycle, which explained the chemical pathways of photosynthesis.
3
Randy Schekman
(American Cell Biologist Who Contributed to the Discovery of the Genetic Basis of Vesicle Transport in Cells)
Birthdate: December 30, 1948
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Co-winner of the 2013 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, American cell biologist Randy Schekman is best known for his "ground-breaking work on cell membrane vesicle trafficking, a major transport system in our cells." Author of several books on Cell and Developmental Biology, he has also served as the editor of several scientific magazines.
Birthdate: March 13, 1925
Sun Sign: Pisces
Died: October 16, 2019
5
Peter Agre
(Chemist, Molecular biologist, Professor)
Birthdate: January 30, 1949
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Nobel Prize-winning doctor Peter Agre revolutionized science with his work on the movement of water molecules inside the cell membrane. Born to a chemistry professor, he developed an interest in science early in his life. He was also associated with the medical schools at Johns Hopkins and Duke University.
6
Marcia McNutt
(US Geophysicist and the First Female Director of the US Geological Survey)
Birthdate: February 19, 1952
Sun Sign: Pisces
US geophysicist Marcia McNutt scripted history as the first female director of the US Geological Survey. She has also been the president of the National Academy of Sciences. She has also taught marine geophysics at Stanford and the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her countless awards include the Maurice Ewing Medal.
7
Brian Kobilka
(American Physiologist Whose Discoveries Revealed the Workings of 'G Protein-Coupled Receptors')
Birthdate: May 30, 1955
Sun Sign: Gemini
Brian Kobilka is an American physiologist best known for winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2012. He is also credited with co-founding a biotechnology company named ConfometRx. Brian Kobilka is currently working as a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.
8
Arthur Burks
(Mathematician)
Birthdate: October 13, 1915
Sun Sign: Libra
Died: May 14, 2008
9
Robert A. Good
(Physician)
Birthdate: May 21, 1922
Sun Sign: Gemini
Died: June 13, 2003
A pioneer of modern immunology, Robert A. Good was partially paralysed in his younger days and completed his medical studies in a wheelchair, though he mostly recovered later. He was the man behind the first bone marrow transplant in the world. He later won the Lasker Award, among other honors.
10
Robert Morris Page
(Physicist)
Birthdate: June 2, 1903
Sun Sign: Gemini
Died: May 15, 1992
11
Frank J. Dixon
(American Biomedical Researcher Who Did Pioneering Research Into Diseases of the Immune System)
Birthdate: March 9, 1920
Sun Sign: Pisces
Died: February 8, 2008
Frank J. Dixon was an American biomedical researcher who did pioneering research into diseases of the immune system that can damage other organs of the body. He is also remembered for having developed techniques to study proteins. Frank J. Dixon is also credited with co-founding the Scripps Research Institute, where he served as the director. He won several prestigious awards, including the Lasker Award.