15 Scientists Transforming Medicine, Technology, and Space in the 21st Century

Co-developer of CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology, Jennifer Doudna helped unlock a precise and affordable way to rewrite DNA. Her work, which earned a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020, has transformed biomedical research and opened new possibilities for treating genetic diseases.

Partnering with Doudna, Charpentier co-developed CRISPR-Cas9 into a programmable gene-editing tool. Her discoveries reshaped molecular biology and launched a new era of biotechnology startups and therapeutic innovation.

Karikó’s decades-long work on modified mRNA made possible the rapid development of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. Awarded the Nobel Prize in 2023, her research fundamentally changed vaccine science and accelerated RNA-based therapeutics.

Working closely with Karikó, Weissman helped pioneer the nucleoside modifications that stabilized mRNA for safe use in vaccines. His contributions were critical to the success of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s COVID-19 shots.

As co-founder and CEO of DeepMind, Hassabis led the development of AlphaGo and AlphaFold. AlphaFold’s accurate protein-structure predictions solved a 50-year-old biology challenge and accelerated drug discovery worldwide.

A leading theoretical physicist, Thorne played a central role in the LIGO collaboration that detected gravitational waves in 2015. The discovery confirmed a major prediction of Einstein’s general relativity and opened a new window on the universe.

Strickland co-developed chirped pulse amplification, a technique that produces ultra-intense laser pulses. Her Nobel Prize–winning work has applications in precision manufacturing, eye surgery, and fundamental physics.

Although her key discovery predates 2000, Tu’s impact has been most strongly felt in the 21st century as artemisinin-based therapies became central to global malaria treatment. Her work has saved millions of lives worldwide.

Continuing her decades of primatology and conservation leadership into the 21st century, Goodall has become one of the most influential scientific voices on biodiversity and climate action. Her advocacy bridges rigorous research and global environmental policy.

As director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for much of the century, Fauci shaped responses to HIV/AIDS, Ebola, and COVID-19. His influence on public health policy and infectious disease research has been profound.

Co-discoverer of grid cells in the brain, Moser helped reveal the neural basis of spatial navigation. Her work, recognized with a Nobel Prize, advanced understanding of memory systems and neurological disorders.

One of the most prolific mathematicians of the modern era, Tao has made landmark contributions across harmonic analysis, number theory, and partial differential equations. His collaborative approach has influenced how mathematics is conducted in the digital age.

An astrophysicist at MIT, Seager is a pioneer in the study of exoplanet atmospheres. Her work has shaped the search for habitable worlds and biosignatures beyond our solar system.

A leading figure in neuroscience research on brain coordination dynamics, Tognoli’s work explores how large-scale neural systems synchronize. Her research contributes to understanding cognition, behavior, and neurological disorders.

A biomedical engineer and prolific inventor, Langer pioneered drug delivery systems and tissue engineering techniques. His innovations underpin numerous therapies and have shaped the biotechnology industry.