Why researcher Rosalind Lee, the wife of the Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, didn’t receive the award as well
On Monday, the Nobel Prize organization posted a message on social media: “Congratulations to our 2024 laureate Victor Ambros. This morning he celebrated the news of his prize with his colleague and wife Rosalind “Candy” Lee, who was also the first author on the 1993 Cell paper cited by the Nobel Committee.” The message included a photo of Ambros and Lee smiling at the camera.
The post has received more than 2.2 million views and hundreds of comments, many from users questioning why Lee did not receive the Nobel Prize alongside her husband. Some comments reference the case of another Rosalind — Rosalind Franklin — and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Since the award’s inception in 1901, 227 individuals have been honored, but only 13 women have won. Is the Nobel Committee being unfair to Rosalind Lee? All indications suggest otherwise.
Contrary to popular belief, the first author of a study is not necessarily the most important. Typically, the last author is recognized as the leader of the research group. In the study cited by the Nobel Committee, Lee is listed as the first author, while Rhonda Feinbaum is the second. The study clarifies that both contributed equally to the research.
