Fred Ramsdell has recently been awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine. However, he is currently on an “off-the-grid” hiking expedition, making him inaccessible to the Nobel committee. Ramsdell is associated with Sonoma Biotherapeutics, based in San Francisco.
Nobel Prize Winners
Ramsdell shared the accolade with two other researchers:
- Mary Brunkow from Seattle, Washington
- Shimon Sakaguchi from Osaka University, Japan
Their groundbreaking research has significantly advanced the understanding of the immune system. They discovered regulatory T-cells, which act as critical “security guards” for the immune response.
Challenges in Communication
Due to Ramsdell’s digital detox while hiking, the Nobel committee has faced difficulties in delivering the news of this prestigious honor. Jeffrey Bluestone, co-founder of Sonoma Biotherapeutics and a friend of Ramsdell, mentioned his attempts to contact Ramsdell without success. “I think he may be backpacking in the backcountry in Idaho,” Bluestone noted.
The Nobel committee also experienced similar challenges reaching Brunkow, who is based on the U.S. West Coast, which operates nine hours behind Stockholm. Fortunately, the committee eventually managed to inform her.
Research Contributions
The joint research by Ramsdell, Sakaguchi, and Brunkow focuses on:
- Peripheral immune tolerance, preventing the immune system from attacking the body
- Developing potential medical treatments now undergoing clinical trials
Sakaguchi’s contributions date back to 1995, when he discovered a new class of immune cells that help protect against autoimmune diseases. Ramsdell and Brunkow contributed significantly to this field with their key discoveries made in 2001.
This Nobel Prize recognition highlights the transformative impact of their work on medical science and immune system research.
