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Top 10 Lifesaving Scientists by Discovery
Top 10 Medical Lifesavers
Top 10 Lifesavers in the book Scientists Greater Than Einstein
Top 20 Medical Lifesavers - Key Contributors
Top 20 Living Lifesaving Scientists - Key Contributors


mvpTop 10 Lifesaving Scientists by Discovery

1a Fritz Haber - 2.72 billion - synthetic fertilizer
2a Karl Landsteiner - 1.094 billion - blood groups led to transfusions
3a Edward Jenner - 530 million - smallpox vaccination
4a Norman Borlaug - 259 million - high yield wheat
5a Abel Wolman - 173 million - chlorination of water
6a Bill Foege - 131 mil - 6% vaccination strategy eradicated smallpox
7a John Enders - 120 million - measles vaccine
8a Howard Florey - 82 million - penicillin, the drug
9a Gaston Ramon - 60 million - diphtheria and tetanus vaccines
10 David Nalin - 54 million - oral rehydration therapy

Honorable Mention: Pre-1900 Legends Lacking Numerical Data

Louis Pasteur
- Germ Theory
Joseph Lister - Antiseptics

When a discovery has a number of key contributors we have chosen an MVP. See the Key Contributors list for all those indispensable to the discovery.



mvpTop 10 Medical Lifesavers

1a Karl Landsteiner - 1.094 billion - blood groups led to transfusions
2a Edward Jenner - 530 million - smallpox vaccination
3a Bill Foege - 131 mil - 6% vaccination strategy eradicated smallpox
4a John Enders - 120 million - measles vaccine
5a Howard Florey - 82 million - penicillin, the drug
6a Gaston Ramon - 60 million - diphtheria and tetanus vaccines
7a David Nalin - 54 million - oral rehydration therapy
8a Paul Ehrlich - 42 million - diphtheria and tetanus antitoxin
9a Frederick Banting - 16.4 million - insulin for diabetes
10 Andreas Gruentzig - 15.4 million - angioplasty

Honorable Mention: Pre-1900 Legends Lacking Numerical Data

Louis Pasteur - Germ Theory
Joseph Lister - Antiseptics


When a discovery has a number of key contributors we have chosen an MVP. See the Key Contributors list for all those indispensable to the discovery.



mvpTop 10 Lifesavers in Scientists Greater Than Einstein

1a Karl Landsteiner - 1.094 billion - blood groups led to transfusions
2a Norman Borlaug - 259 million - high yield wheat
3a Bill Foege - 131 mil - 6% vaccination strategy eradicated smallpox
4a John Enders - 120 million - measles vaccine
5a Howard Florey - 82 million - penicillin, the drug
6a David Nalin - 54 million - oral rehydration therapy
7a Paul Muller - 21.2  million - DDT and the prevention of malaria
8a Frederick Banting - 16.4 million - insulin for diabetes
9a Alfred Sommer - 7.1 million - vit A supplements save children's lives
10 Akira Endo - 5.9 million - cholesterol lowering drugs: statins




Top 20 Medical Lifesavers - Key Contributors

1-2aa Karl Landsteiner - 1.094 bil - blood groups led to transfusions
1-2aa Richard Lewisohn - 1.094 bil - additive citrate led to transfusions
3-7aa Edward Jenner - 530 million - smallpox vaccination
3-7aa Bill Foege - 131 mil - 6% vaccination plan eradicated smallpox
3-7aa Leslie Collier - 131 mil - frz dried vaccine for smallpox eradication
3-7aa Isaac Ismach -131 mil jet vaccination gun for smallpox eradication
3-7aa Benjamin Rubin -131mil bifurcated needle - smallpox eradication
8-14a John Enders - 120 million - measles vaccine
8-14a Maurice Hilleman - 120 million - measles vaccine
8-14a Ann Holloway - 120 million - measles vaccine
8-14a Samuel Katz - 120 million - measles vaccine
8-14a Kevin McCarthy - 120 million - measles vaccine
8-14a Milan Milovanovich - 120 million - measles vaccine
8-14a Thomas Peebles - 120 million - measles vaccine
15-18 Howard Florey - 82 million - penicillin
15-18 Ernst Chain - 82 million - penicillin
15-18 Norman Heatley - 82 million - penicillin
15-18 Alexander Fleming - 82 million - penicillin
19-aa Gaston Ramon - 60 million - diphtheria and tetanus vaccines
20-24 David Nalin - 54 mil - oral rehydration therapy, cholera/diarrhea
20-24 Richard Cash - 54 mil - oral rehydrtn therapy, cholera/diarrhea
20-24 Norbert Hirschhorn - 54 mil - oral rehyd ther, cholera/diarrhea
20-24 Robert Phillips - 54 mil - oral rehydrtn therapy, cholera/diarrhea
20-24 David Sachar - 54 mil - oral rehydrtn therapy, cholera/diarrhea

Honorable Mention: Pre-1900 Legends Lacking Numerical Data
Louis Pasteur - Germ Theory
Joseph Lister - Antiseptics





Top 20 Living Lifesaving Scientists - KeyContributors

1aaaa Bill Foege - 131 mil - 6% vaccination plan eradicated smallpox
2-6aa Samuel Katz - 118 million - measles vaccine
2-6aa Ann Holloway - 118 million - measles vaccine
2-6aa Kevin McCarthy - 118 million - measles vaccine
2-6aa Milan Milovanovich - 118 million - measles vaccine
2-6aa Thomas Peebles - 118 million - measles vaccine
7-11a David Nalin - 54 million - oral rehydration therapy
7-11a Richard Cash - 54 million - oral rehydration therapy
7-11a Norbert Hirschhorn - 54 million - oral rehydration therapy
7-11a Robert Phillips - 54 million - oral rehydration therapy
7-11a David Sachar - 54 million - oral rehydration therapy
12-aa Wilson Greatbatch - 8.3 million - implantable cardiac pacemaker
13-aa Alfred Sommer - 7.1 mil - vit A supplements save children's lives
14-16 Baruch Blumberg - 6.3 million - hepatitis B vaccine
14-16 Irving Millman - 6.3 million - hepatitis B vaccine
14-16 Kenneth Murray - 6.3 million - hepatitis B vaccine
17-aa Akira Endo - 5.9 million - cholesterol lowering drugs: statins
18-19 James Jude - 4.7 million - CPR
18-19 G. Guy Knickerbocker - 4.7 million - CPR
20-aaJames Black - 3.6 million - beta blockers for heart disease



     
Top 10 Living Lifesaving Scientists by Discovery
Top 10 Women Lifesaving Scientists
Top 20 Lifesaving Scientists - Key Contributors
Notes About The Top 10 Lists



mvpTop 10 Living Lifesaving Scientist by Discovery

1a Bill Foege - 131 mil - 6% vaccination strategy eradicated smallpox
2a Samuel Katz - 118 million - measles vaccine
3a David Nalin - 54 million - oral rehydration therapy, cholera/diarrhea
4a Alfred Sommer - 7.1 mil - vit A supplements save children's lives
5a Akira Endo - 5.9 million - cholesterol lowering drugs: statins
6a G. Guy Knickerbocker - 4.8 million - CPR


When a discovery has a number of key contributors we have chosen an MVP. See the Key Contributors list for all those indispensable to the discovery.








Top 10 Women Lifesaving Scientists

1-2 Ann Holloway - 118 million - measles vaccine
1-2 Anna Mitus - 118 million - measles vaccine
3-4 Grace Eldering - 13.7 million - whooping cough vaccine
3-4 Pearl Kendrick - 13.7 million - whooping cough vaccine
5-a Gertrude Elion - 5.44 million - drugs for gout, transplants, leukemia
6-a Francoise Barre-Sinoussi - 2.4 million - HIV blood test
7-a Mary Ellen Avery - 840,000 - infant surfactant therapy
8-a Rachel Schneerson - 660,000 - Hib vaccine

Help us discover more women lifesaving scientists












Top 20 Lifesaving Scientists - Key Contributors

1-2 aaFritz Haber - 2.72 billion - synthetic fertilizer
1-2 aaCarl Bosch - 2.72 billion - synthetic fertilizer
3-4 aaKarl Landsteiner - 1.094 bil - blood groups led to transfusions
3-4 aaRichard Lewisohn - 1.094 bil - blood groups led to transfusions
5-a aaEdward Jenner - 530 million - smallpox vaccination
6-a aaNorman Borlaug - 259 million - high yield wheat
7-8a aLinn Enslow - 177 million - chlorination of water
7-8a aAbel Wolman - 177 million - chlorination of water
9-12 aBill Foege - 131 mil - 6% vaccination plan eradicated smallpox
9-12 aLeslie Collier - 131 mil - frz dried vaccine for smallpox eradication
9-12 aIsaac Ismach -131 mil  jet vacc. gun for smallpox eradication
9-12 aBenjamin Rubin - 131 mil bifurcated needle - smallpox erad.
13-19 John Enders - 120 million - measles vaccine
13-19 Maurice Hilleman - 118 million - measles vaccine
13-19 Ann Holloway - 118 million - measles vaccine
13-19 Samuel Katz - 118 million - measles vaccine
13-19 Kevin McCarthy - 118 million - measles vaccine
13-19 Milan Milovanovich - 118 million - measles vaccine
13-19 Thomas Peebles - 118 million - measles vaccine
20-23 Howard Florey - 82 million - penicillin
20-23 Ernst Chain - 82 million - penicillin
20-23 Norman Heatley - 82 million - penicillin
20-23 Alexander Fleming - 82 million - penicillin

Honorable Mention: Pre-1900 Legends Lacking Numerical Data

Louis Pasteur - Germ Theory
Joseph Lister - Antiseptics





Notes About The Top 10 Lists

  • Lists begin with the Twentieth Century since there is little data prior to 1900.
  • The Lists are not definitive. If you know of a lifesaving scientist we have left off, please nominate him or her.
  • The list of "MVPs" denotes the major contributors who were indispensable and/or team leaders.  It does not include all team members, who may also have been crucial.  See the "Key Contributors" list to see all members crucial to a lifesaving advance.
  • The book Scientists Greater Than Einstein title begs the question of how the popularity of a scientist should be determined.  The author, Billy Woodward, believes prominence should be determined on a scientific basis of their accomplishments - which means by measurable evidence.  If saving a life is one of the most important accomplishments possible, and the number of lives saved is measurable, do not lifesaving scientists deserve to be highly acclaimed?