Emil Theodor Kocher (Nobel)

Emil Theodor Kocher, a physician and medical researcher, was the recipient of the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his innovative work on thyroid surgery. Kocher had the honor of being the first Swiss citizen and first surgeon to ever receive a Nobel Prize in Medicine. Kocher is considered a pioneer in organ transplantation. At the time of his death, he had performed more than 7,000 thyroid operations in his clinic, steadily reducing the mortality rate from 14% in 1884 to 0.18% in 1898. As a member of the Moravian church, one of the oldest Protestant Christian denominations, he was a deeply religious man like his mother, often attributing both his successes and failures to God. In conducting his revolutionary work, Kocher strived to navigate the potential moral and ethical conflicts by drawing upon the principles of his Christian faith.