Tatiana Birshtein
Tatiana Birshtein | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 20, 1928 Leningrad, Soviet Union |
| Died | February 23, 2022 (aged 93) |
| Occupation(s) | Molecular scientist, polymer physicist |
| Known for | Research in molecular science and polymer physics |
Tatiana Birshtein, also known as Tat'yana Maksimovna Birshtein (Russian: Татья́на Макси́мовна Бирште́йн; born 20 December 1928 – died 23 February 2022), was a distinguished Russian researcher in molecular science with a focus on polymer physics. In 2007, she was honored with the L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science.
Life and career
Birshtein was born in 1928 in Leningrad (currently Saint Petersburg), where she endured the hardships of the Siege of Leningrad. She pursued her studies at Leningrad State University and went on to specialize in theoretical polymer physics at the Institute of Macromolecular Compounds under the Russian Academy of Sciences. This institute originated from the polymer science school founded by Professor Mikhail Volkenstein in Leningrad during the 1950s. Birshtein devoted her professional life to this research center.
Her prolific scientific output encompassed topics such as polymer behavior, DNA stability, micelle architecture, and the conformational analysis of organic molecules.
On 22 February 2007, she received a $100,000 prize through the L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science, recognizing her contributions to elucidating the configurations, dimensions, and dynamics of macromolecules.
Tatiana Birshtein passed away on 23 February 2022 at the age of 93.
Awards
- Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad" (1944)
- Honoured Scientist of the Russian Federation (1998)
- V. A. Kargin RAS Prize (2008)