Hideyo Noguchi

1876 - 1928 (aged 51)

Hideyo Noguchi was born on November 18, 1876, in Inawashiro, Japan. He received his medical degree from the University of Tokyo in 1900 and later worked as an assistant to Robert Koch, a renowned German bacteriologist.

Noguchi made several important contributions to the field of bacteriology, including the discovery of the bacterium that causes syphilis, which he named Treponema pallidum. He also conducted research on a variety of other diseases, including rabies, yellow fever, and sleeping sickness.

Noguchi faced many challenges and setbacks in his career, including being falsely accused of stealing bacteria from a colleague's lab and being rejected for a faculty position at the University of Tokyo due to his foreign education. Despite these challenges, he remained dedicated to his work and made significant contributions to the understanding of infectious diseases. Noguchi died on May 21, 1928, from Yellow Fever which he acquired while conducting research in West Africa.