Dorothy Hodgkin: the first and only British woman to receive a Nobel Prize in Science

written by Nicola Ridgway, Veronia McConochie and Ash Talwar, from the Faculty’s Disability Equity Team.

Dorothy Hodgkin (12th May 1910 – 29th July 1994) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964 for her work solving the atomic structure of molecules using x-ray crystallography. Her important findings included discovering the three-dimensional biomolecular structures of steroids, penicillin and insulin.

Dorothy became interested in crystals at around the age of 10 when a family friend gave her a chemistry set and she spent many hours in the attic at her family home doing experiments. When she started secondary school, Dorothy was told that she would need to take needlework classes whilst the boys studied chemistry. She didn’t let this stand in her way and successfully petitioned (along with a friend) to be allowed to study chemistry alongside the boys. After school she secured a place to read chemistry at the University of Oxford. During her fourth-year she conducted a research project to investigate the crystal structure of dimethyl thallium halides, and this provided the launchpad into a career in crystallography.

After graduation, Dorothy went to do a PhD at the University of Cambridge, focussing on the crystallographic investigation of steroid crystals. This work underpins much of her future career. Following her PhD, Dorothy returned to Oxford to take up a position at Sommerville College, University of Oxford where she remained for most of her working life.

At the University of Oxford Dorothy investigated the structures of a range of biological molecules which eventually led to her Nobel Prize. Her work was vitally important and her work understanding the structure of penicillin in 1945 (the first antibiotic) allowed its synthesis in large quantities, overcoming an important hurdle in its wide-spread use. Furthermore, her work understanding insulin enabled the mass production of insulin as a possible treatment for diabetes. Dorothy also tutored many influential students, including Margaret Thatcher (past prime minister), who hung Dorothy’s portrait in Downing Street during her time as prime minister and reportedly asked for her opinions on a range of scientific and political matters.

During her PhD, in 1934, Dorothy first visited a consultant about pain in her hands. The Dr observed some deformity in her hands caused by swelling in her knuckle joints and prescribed rest. A prescription that Dorothy struggled with as she wanted to finish off some experiments. Dorothy was diagnosed with a painful autoimmune condition, known as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In RA, the immune system attacks health cells and tissues in the joints (such as in the hand, feet and wrists), causing them to become inflamed and damaged. Although Dorothy experienced some pain during her PhD, her first major flare up occurred at the age of 28 (in 1938). After taking some sick leave, she returned to her lab to find she could not operate some of the equipment needed for her work due to the stiffness and deformity in her hands. However, Dorothy did not let this stop her and she instead made aids (e.g. long levers for switches) which would allow her to continue to work. As the condition progressed, Dorothy often required a wheelchair as walking became too painful. Despite these setbacks, Dorothy continued with her demanding work and attending global events until her retirement in 1988 (aged 78).

Dorothy’s legacy remains to this day, not just from her work but also through the Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships that are awarded each year to early career researchers. These fellowships allow early career researchers to continue their careers on a flexible basis to accommodate personal circumstances, such as caring responsibilities or health-related issues.