American scientist receives news of winning Nobel Prize in Medicine while 'hiding' in the mountains and forests

Dr. Fred Ramsdell only learned of his Nobel Prize win nearly 12 hours after it was announced because he was on vacation in the Rocky Mountains and had his phone on airplane mode.

Portrait of Dr. Fred Ramsdell - Photo: REUTERS

According to the New York Times on October 7, Dr. Fred Ramsdell, 64 years old, had a memorable moment when he received the news that he won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine while camping in Montana, USA, and there was no phone signal.

The Nobel Committee said it tried to contact Mr. Ramsdell in the early morning of October 7, Swedish time, but was unsuccessful because his phone was on airplane mode during a hiking and camping trip.

Later, when the couple stopped at a campsite in Montana, his wife, Laura O'Neill, turned on her phone and discovered a series of congratulatory messages. She immediately screamed.

"I thought she saw a grizzly bear, because there are quite a few in that area," said Thomas Perlmann, Secretary General of the Nobel Committee. "Luckily it wasn't a bear, but the news that Mr. Ramsdell had won the prize. He was very surprised and happy."

Speaking from a hotel in Montana on October 7, Mr. Ramsdell admitted that he "completely did not think" about the possibility of being honored.

He and his wife, Fred Ramsdell, embarked on a three-week trip across the mountains of Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, with the goal of taking a break from electronic devices. Dr. Fred Ramsdell and his wife pursue a lifestyle close to nature and choose to "unplug" from the world whenever possible.

While his wife stays in touch with friends and family on her travels, he chooses to “disappear” from the technological grid. He often turns off his electronic devices completely, enjoying the quiet feeling of being in nature and observing wildlife instead of focusing on the constant notifications from work.

This is a habit he maintains, helping him regain balance after stressful hours of research.

It was not until the evening of the same day that he met Mr. Perlmann at a hotel in the town of Livingston, Montana.

The Secretary General of the Nobel Committee shared that since taking up the role in 2016, contacting a laureate has never been more difficult.

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to three scientists , Fred Ramsdell (USA), Mary Brunkow (Institute of Systems Biology, Seattle) and Shimon Sakaguchi (Osaka University, Japan) for important discoveries related to the mechanism of action of T cells in the immune system.

The three will share the prize money of 11 million Swedish krona (equivalent to 1.2 million USD).

Mr. Ramsdell expressed his gratitude and thanks to his colleagues: "I am truly grateful to receive this award. I am delighted that our work has been recognized and I just wish to share this joy with my colleagues."

TRAN LINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nha-khoa-hoc-my-nhan-tin-doat-giai-nobel-y-hoc-khi-dang-o-an-giua-nui-rung-20251008134054671.htm