Scientist wins Nobel three days after death

2011 - A researcher was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine, three days after dying of pancreatic cancer without ever knowing he was about to be honoured for his immune system work that he had used to prolong his own life. The Nobel committee said it was unaware that Canadian-born cell biologist Ralph Steinman had already died when it awarded the prize to him, American Bruce Beutler and French scientist Jules Hoffmann.