Chien-Shiung Wu

Renowned for conducting the Wu experiment, which proved that parity is not conserved, Wu was a Chinese-American particle and experimental physicist whose work reshaped nuclear and particle physics. Her discovery led directly to colleagues Tsung-Dao Lee and Chen-Ning Yang receiving the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics, while Wu herself received the inaugural Wolf Prize in Physics in 1978.

Wu also contributed to the Manhattan Project, where she helped develop the process for separating uranium into uranium-235 and uranium-238 isotopes by gaseous diffusion. Her exceptional skill in experimental physics drew frequent comparisons to Marie Curie, earning her the nicknames "First Lady of Physics," "Chinese Marie Curie," and "Queen of Nuclear Research."