Tu Youyou

Tu Youyou (December 30, 1930 -), Chinese medicinal chemist, native of Ningbo, Zhejiang, member of the Communist Party of China, lifelong researcher and chief researcher of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, director of the Artemisinin Research Center of the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, doctoral supervisor, and the discoverer of the antimalarial drugs artemisinin and dihydroartemisinin. These antimalarial drugs improved the health conditions of people in tropical developing countries such as southern Asia, Africa, and South America, and were a significant breakthrough in tropical medicine in the 20th century.