Caltech’s Pamela Bjorkman Named the 2025 Wolf Prize Laureate in Medicine

The Wolf Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting achievements in the arts and sciences around the world, has named Pamela Bjorkman, professor at the California Institute of Technology, the 2025 Wolf Prize Laureate in Medicine. The Wolf Prize is awarded annually to exceptional individuals in the fields of medicine, agriculture, mathematics, chemistry, physics, painting, sculpture, music, and architecture.

According to the award citation, Dr. Bjorkman was honored “for pioneering innovative strategies to overcome viral defenses through novel antibody-focused approaches.” She is one of two women – and the only woman professor – among all 2025 Wolf Prize Laureates.

A Caltech faculty member for over three decades, Dr. Bjorkman currently serves as the David Baltimore Professor of Biology and Biological Engineering and as a Merkin Institute Professor. Her lab investigates the immune recognition of viral pathogens, such as HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, to develop improved therapeutics and vaccines.

Dr. Bjorkman received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Oregon and her Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology from Harvard University.