Mary Brunkow's Nobel Prize Win Highlights Oregon's Scientific Achievements

The Nobel Prize is a huge honor to anyone who is awarded such a prestigious note of recognition.
Read More: This is the Fastest Growing City in Washington State

Imagine getting world-wide notoriety for doing your job, but finding a way to do your job better or find something about your job that makes it easier for everyone else.

Now imagine you win representing your area.

Oregon Live is reporting Mary Brunkow, a molecular biologist, won the Nobel Prize for science.
Read More: Can you Pitch a Tent on Yakima Sidewalks?

She used to live in Portland and went to St. Mary's Catholic school for girls but recently she's been working and living in Seattle.

Mary, along with Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi, won the Nobel Prize in medicine for their research on how the immune system prevents itself from attacking the body.

Get our free mobile app

Funny enough, she ignored the first call from Sweden.

The news was slated to be delivered to her via phone call. She told Oregon Live that when she saw she was getting a call from Sweden, she didn't bother answering thinking it was probably spam.

She found out it was legit when AP came knocking on her front door to get a recent photo of her to include along with the announcement that Mary, along with the two others, won the Nobel Price in medicine for this huge breakthrough.

LOOK: 44 Amazing Actors That Have Called Washington State Home

Sure, Washington is known for Amazon, coffee, wine, apples, grunge music, Microsoft, and Boeing. But you may not know how many actors and actresses have come from the Evergreen State. Yeah, our state has had an impact on the television and film industry. We've got A-listers, an Oscar winner, and faces of big franchises.

Check out our list below, I'm sure you'll find some surprises.

Gallery Credit: Pete Christensen

The Cast of "The Goonies" Now

12 West Coast Celebrities with Diabetes

Diabetes affects millions of people. Over 500,000 people in Washington State alone - almost 10% of the adult population - have been diagnosed with diabetes. Even more have gone undiagnosed, or have been listed as prediabetic, according to the American Diabetic Association.

Sometimes it helps to have role models to look up to that also have the condition. Here are some local celebrities from Washington, Oregon, and California who have been diagnosed with diabetes. Do any surprise you?

Gallery Credit: Jaime Skelton

48 of the Best Musicians to Have Hailed From Washington State

We all know about the influential grunge scene of Seattle that brought the end of hair metal at the dawn of the 1990s. But did you know even more artists have called Washington home? A lot of these artists come from Seattle but some come from Spokane and even the Tri-Cities.

Gallery Credit: Pete Christensen

Top 12 American Idol Contestants from Washington State

A Bunch of Amazing Celebrities You Know & Love are From Washington

Washington's A-listers, Oscar winners, Grammy winners, and faces of big franchises in one comprehensive list.

These are celebrities that have been born in, moved to, or lived in Washington.

Gallery Credit: Pete Christensen

Top 10 Celebrity Seahawks Fans

The Seahawks are a force respected by players, coaches, and analysts across the sport. It's always fun to know that some of our favorite celebrities are cheering and making crazy promises to a higher power just like us. Check out who some of the famous super-fans are.

Gallery Credit: Pete Christensen

‘Golden Bachelor’ Contestant, Faith Martin, Through the Years [PHOTOS]

The photos you’re about to see are from Faith Martin's time at 98.3 THE KEY beginning in 2002 and ending the year she left the station in 2016. Faith’s warm and fun personality shines in each image.

Gallery Credit: Paul Drake