Writing the life story of a Nobel laureate

Catching the worm is the memoir of Professor William C. Campbell, Ireland's only Nobel prize winner for Medicine. Dr Claire O'Connell is a scientist-turned-writer who worked closely with Professor Campbell to give shape to his reflections and insights. In this episode of 'Meet the authors', Claire shares her experience of working on the book.

About the book:
In 2015, Dr William C. Campbell’s quiet retirement changed abruptly when, at the age of 85, he won a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. In this book, Campbell recalls his early life in Donegal and studying zoology in Trinity College Dublin, then moving to the United States to work as a parasitologist. While working with the company Merck, he helped to discover several drugs to control parasitic worms. One of those drugs, ivermectin, has spared millions of people from the devastating effects of river blindness. Through his memoir, Campbell provides a snapshot of growing up in Ireland before and during World War II, as well as insights into science, the arts, teaching, family and what really matters in life. Catching the worm is published by the Royal Irish Academy in partnership with the RDS. Find our more and buy the book here.

About 'Meet the authors':
'Meet the authors' is a new video series of the Royal Irish Academy. The series started in spring 2020 when the Academy had to close its doors because of Covid-19. With this series we intend to bring our authors directly to our readers' homes, to help keep our audience informed and engaged until things get back to normal. You can watch the whole series on our YouTube channel.