Dr. Fred Ramsdell, an American immunologist, finally learned he had won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine after being “off-grid” for a three-week hiking trip in the remote US mountains.
The Nobel Committee had been unable to contact the 64-year-old scientist for nearly a full day after the prize announcement was made. His phone was reportedly on airplane mode for the duration of his trip through the mountain ranges.
Sonoma Biotherapeutics had initially stated that Dr. Ramsdell was simply “living his best life” on a pre-planned “off the grid” hiking foray.
The dramatic news finally broke on, as Dr. Ramsdell and his wife, Laura O’Neill, were heading back to their hotel and paused to fix something on their car.
When his wife briefly switched on her mobile phone, it was instantly flooded with congratulatory messages causing her to yell.
Dr. Ramsdell’s first thought was not of a prestigious global award. As the couple was still in an area known for wildlife, he was immediately worried, “I thought she had seen a grizzly bear.”
Thomas Perlmann, the Secretary-General of the Nobel Assembly, described the situation:
“They were still in the wild and there are plenty of grizzly bears there, so he was quite worried when she let out a yell.”
“Fortunately, it was the Nobel Prize. He was very happy and elated and had not expected the prize at all.”
Upon finally speaking to reporters from a hotel in Montana, Dr. Ramsdell confirmed his utter shock at the news, “I certainly didn’t expect to win the Nobel Prize.”
Dr. Ramsdell shares the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with fellow American Mary E. Brunkow and Japanese scientist Shimon Sakaguchi for their groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance.
