On International Women’s Day, the Nobel Prize organization profiles Linda Buck in its “Women Who Changed Science” series.
On 8 March 2021, International Women’s Day, the Nobel Prize organization profiled Linda B. Buck in its “Women Who Changed Science” series. The feature celebrated her groundbreaking work on the sense of smell and her 2004 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, framing her as a transformative figure in modern neuroscience.
The profile recounted Buck’s fascination with how smell works, her collaboration with Richard Axel, and the discovery of hundreds of genes encoding odorant receptors. By publishing this narrative on a day dedicated to recognizing women’s achievements and ongoing struggles for equality, the Nobel organization linked her scientific contributions to broader discussions about women’s representation and recognition in STEM fields. The series aims to highlight women Nobel laureates whose work has altered the trajectory of science, and Buck’s inclusion underscores the lasting influence of her research.
Historically, the 2021 profile is significant as part of a deliberate effort to reshape public memory about who "changes science." In many traditional accounts, women’s contributions have been marginalized or omitted. Featuring Buck in an official Nobel narrative helps correct that imbalance and provides educators, students, and the general public with accessible material on her achievements. For women’s history, this date marks a moment when institutions responsible for the world’s most famous scientific prize actively foregrounded a woman neuroscientist’s story, using their platform to inspire future generations and to acknowledge the systemic barriers she and others have navigated.