77 years old (Born on August 27, 1947)
Happy Birthday to the legendary Flossie Wong-Staal! You didn't just clone HIV and decode its secrets—you made molecular biology look easy. Seriously, most of us struggle cloning houseplants, yet you casually cloned viruses and revolutionized medicine.And let's not forget your entrepreneurial spirit—co-founding iTherX Pharmaceuticals to tackle hepatitis C head-on. While others were still figuring out their lab coats, you were already pioneering treatments that changed countless lives. Here's hoping your birthday is filled with as much joy (and fewer petri dishes) than usual. Cheers to a scientist whose brilliance continues inspiring generations—and who clearly knows how genes party!