Due to Winter Storm Fern, the Science History Institute building will be closed on Monday, January 26.

This talk examines the gendered dynamics of the joint research program that developed between Prague-born, Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Gerty T. Cori and her husband Carl F. Cori during their first 10 years in the United States.

Despite coming up against gender discrimination, demands for clinically related laboratory work, and institutional objections to their research partnership, the Coris coauthored numerous papers on carbohydrate (sugar) metabolism throughout the 1920s, work that culminated in their characterization of one of the earliest metabolic cycles to be biochemically described: a cycle of how sugar flows through the animal body, which was eventually termed the “Cori Cycle.”

Admission is free! The event takes place in person at National Mechanics restaurant in Old City Philadelphia. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are not required for this event.

Gina Surita.

About the Speaker

Gina Surita is a historian of the modern biomedical sciences. She completed her PhD in History of Science at Princeton University in 2022.

About the Series

Science on Tap is a monthly speaker series that features brief, informal presentations by Philadelphia-based scientists and other experts followed by lively conversation and a Q&A. The goal is to promote enthusiasm for science in a fun, spirited, and accessible way, while also meeting new people. Come join the conversation!


Featured image: Carl F. and Gerty T. Cori in their lab at Washington University. Becker Medical Library, Washington University School of Medicine.

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