Stanley B. Prusiner

Stanley B. Prusiner is an American biochemist known for discovering prions, which are infectious agents composed entirely of protein. Unlike bacteria or viruses, prions cause diseases by improperly folding proteins in the brain, leading to conditions like mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Prusiner’s groundbreaking work in the 1980s challenged traditional views of infectious agents, earning him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1997. His research has significantly advanced our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and has implications for biology, medicine, and public health.