Passion or Profession: Scientist

Period: 1891–1941

After becoming a doctor, Banting joined the Canadian Army Medical Corps and served in World War I. Upon returning home, he became greatly interested in diabetes and began researching the disease in the laboratories of J. J. R. Macleod. In 1922, Banting and his assistant, Charles Best, isolated the pancreas hormone, which came to be known as insulin. This discovery enabled millions suffering from diabetes to lead normal lives. Banting and Macleod were awarded the 1923 Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine (Banting shared his portion of the award with Best).