Max Theiler
Singers

Max Theiler Net Worth

Max Theiler was a South African-born virologist who developed a vaccine against yellow fever, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1951. He was the first African-born Nobel laureate. He was exposed to the field of medicine from a young age and went on to graduate from the University of Cape Town Medical School and earn a diploma in tropical medicine and hygiene from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He then moved to the United States to do research at the Harvard University School of Tropical Medicine. After researching amoebic dysentery and rat bite fever, he focused on yellow fever and developed a safe, standardized vaccine for the disease. He also researched dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis, and authored several scientific papers and two books.
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Age, Biography and Wiki

Who is it? Virologist
Birth Day January 30, 1899
Birth Place Pretoria, South Africa, South African
Age 120 YEARS OLD
Died On 11 August 1972(1972-08-11) (aged 73)\nNew Haven, Connecticut, USA
Birth Sign Aquarius
Residence USA
Known for Developing a vaccine against yellow fever
Awards Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award (1949) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1951)
Fields Virology

💰 Net worth

Max Theiler was a highly esteemed virologist from South Africa whose net worth is estimated to be between $100K and $1M in 2024. Theiler's groundbreaking contributions to the field of virology have made a significant impact on the world of medicine. He is best known for his development of the first effective vaccine against yellow fever, a deadly mosquito-borne disease. His tireless efforts in research and dedication to saving lives have undoubtedly contributed to his success and financial prosperity. Max Theiler's work continues to be revered and celebrated in the scientific community and beyond.

Biography/Timeline

1918

Theiler was born in Pretoria, then the capital of the South African Republic (now South Africa); his father Arnold Theiler was a veterinary bacteriologist. He attended Pretoria Boys High School, Rhodes University College, and University of Cape Town Medical School, graduating in 1918. He left South Africa for London to study at St Thomas's Hospital Medical School, King's College London, and at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. In 1922, he was awarded a diploma in tropical Medicine and hygiene; he became a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians of London and a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

1922

Theiler wanted to pursue a career in research, so in 1922, he took a position at the Harvard University School of Tropical Medicine in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He spent several years investigating amoebic dysentery and trying to develop a vaccine for rat-bite fever.

1926

After becoming assistant to Andrew Sellards, he started working on yellow fever. In 1926, they disproved Hideyo Noguchi's hypothesis that yellow fever was caused by the bacterium Leptospira icteroides. In 1928, the year after the disease was identified conclusively as a virus, they showed that the African and South American viruses are immunologically identical. (This followed Adrian Stokes' inducing yellow fever in rhesus macaques from India). In the course of this research, Theiler contracted yellow fever, but survived and developed immunity.

1928

He married Lillian Graham in 1928, and they had one daughter. He died in New Haven, Connecticut.

1930

In 1930, Theiler moved to the Rockefeller Institute in New York, where he later became Director of the Virus Laboratory. He was professor of epidemiology and public health at Yale University from 1964 to 1967.

1937

In 1937, Max Theiler discovered a filterable agent that was a known cause for paralysis in mice. He found the virus was not transmittable to rhesus macaques, and that only some mice developed symptoms. The virus is now referred to as Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus. The virus has been well characterized, and now serves as a standard model for studying multiple sclerosis.

1951

For this work, Theiler received the 1951 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Theiler also was awarded the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene's Chalmers Medal in 1939, Harvard University's Flattery Medal in 1945, and the American Public Health Association's Lasker Award in 1949.

Some Max Theiler images

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.