Creation of synthetic oxytocin

Institution:

Weill Cornell Medicine

Researchers:

Vincent du Vigneaud, PhD, chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and a professor of biochemistry from 1968-1967, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery.

Impact:

Dr. du Vigneaud created a synthetic form of oxytocin, a hormone that is involved in childbirth. Synthetic oxytocin is now regularly prescribed to induce or augment labor.

Timeline:

1953