Question: who lost their life as a consequence of their own discovery
Answer: Marie Skłodowska Curie ( / ˈkjʊri , kjʊˈriː / ; French : ( kyʁi ) ; Polish : ( kjiˈri ) ; 7 November 1867 -- 4 July 1934 ; born Maria Salomea Skłodowska ; ( ˈmarja salɔˈmɛa skwɔˈdɔfska ) ) was a Polish and naturalized - French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity .