Carl Ferdinand Cori Biography

Carl Ferdinand Cori was a Czech biochemist and pharmacologist who was a pioneer in demonstrating that biochemical research of isolated enzyme systems could aid in understanding physiological processes. He, along with wife Gerti Cori, was awarded the 1947 Nobel Prize in r Medicine for their study on the catalytic conversion of glycogen. Carl Ferdinand Cori received exposure in science from a young age owing to his father and grandfather’s occupation in the same field. Following this, he pursued studies in Medicine from the German University after which he spent two years in Austria while working at the University of Vienna and the University of Graz. In 1922, he, along with his wife, moved to the United States of America and began working at the State Institute for the Study of Malignant Diseases, New York. During this time they conducted an in-depth study of the carbohydrate metabolism along with defining the ‘Cori Cycle’. A few years later he joined the Washington University School of Medicine and while working here he was engaged in research connected to glycogenolysis. Post his retirement from the university, he had worked as visiting professor at Harvard University along with pursuing research at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He continued research until early 1980s when he was no longer able to work owing to ill health.