Baruj Benacerraf b. 1920

Pathologist Baruj Benacerraf shared the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Jean Dausset and George Snell for research leading to the discovery of genetic structures regulating the body's immunological response. A native of Caracas, Venezuela who immigrated to the United States in 1940, Benacerraf advanced the understanding of such autoimmune diseases as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. From 1980 to 1992, he served as president of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, to which he donated his Nobel winnings. Benacerraf won the 1990 National Medal of Science for his contributions to the field of medicine.