Eva Klein

Eva Klein
photo of Eva and George Klein
Eva Klein with her husband, George Klein, Stockholm, April 1979
Born
Eva Fischer

(1925-01-22) 22 January 1925 (age 99)
Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary
Alma mater
Known for
Spouse
Awards
Scientific career
Fields
  • Tumor biology
  • Cancer immunology
Institutions

Eva Klein (née Eva Fischer; born January 22, 1925) is a Hungarian-Swedish scientist. Klein has worked at the Karolinska Institute since leaving Hungary in 1947.[1][2] She is regarded as a founder of cancer immunology.

Her life and career choices as a young Jewish woman were constrained by discrimination, and she survived the late stages of German occupation in hiding.[1] A medical doctor with a PhD in biology, she has worked in cancer immunology and virology.

In the 1960s, she led the discovery of natural killer cells[3][1] and developing Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines.[4][5]

In 1975, the U.S. Cancer Research Institute established the William B. Coley Award for Distinguished Research in Basic and Tumor Immunology. The inaugural award was shared by 16 scientists considered to be "founders of cancer immunology", including Eva and George Klein.[6] Their award noted their "discoveries of tumor-specific antigens in the mouse, to the most comprehensive immunological analysis of a human cancer, Burkitt's lymphoma".[7]

She has pursued her own lines of work as well as working closely with her husband, George Klein.[8] They are both regarded as founders of cancer immunology.[6] They have three children.[5]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Hargittai was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference MTC-90th-Birthday was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kiessling-1975 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cell-lines-1969-PubMed was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Bio-CancerImmRes-2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b "William B. Coley Award". Cancer Research. Cancer Research Institute. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  7. ^ "Cover Legend" (PDF). Cancer Research. 36 (5). May 1976. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Klein-self was invoked but never defined (see the help page).