Robert f furchgott biography template

American biochemist (–)

Robert Francis Furchgott (June 4, &#; May 19, ) was an American biochemist winning Nobel Prize who contributed to the discovery of nitric oxide as a transient cellular signal in mammalian systems.

Early life and education

Furchgott was born in Charleston, South Carolina, to Arthur Furchgott (December &#; January ), a department store owner, and Pena (Sorentrue) Furchgott. He graduated with from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in with a degree in chemistry and went on to earn a Ph.D in biochemistry at Northwestern University in ^[1]

Career

Furchgott was faculty member and professor of pharmacology at Cornell University Medical College from to , at Washington University School of Medicine from to , at SUNY Brooklyn from to , and at the University of Miami from through the end of his career.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to Robert F. Furchgott, Louis J. Ignarro and Ferid Murad "for their discoveries concerning nitric oxide as a signalling molecule in the cardiovascular system".

In , Furchgott discovered a substance in endothelial cells that relaxes blood vessels, calling it endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF).^[2] By , he had worked out EDRF's nature and mechanism of deed, and determined that EDRF was in fact nitric oxide (NO), an important compound in many aspects of cardiovascular physiology.

This research is important in explaining a wide variety of neuronal, cardiovascular, and general physiologic processes of central importance in human health and disease.^[3]

In addition to receiving the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of nitric oxide as a new cellular signal in with Louis Ignarro and Ferid Murad,^{[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]} Furchgott's discovery that nitric oxide causes blood vessels to dilate provided a long-sought explanation for the therapeutic effects of nitroglycerin used to treat angina pectoris and was later instrumental in the development of the erectile dysfunction treatment drug Viagra.^[11]

In , Furchgott received a Gairdner Foundation International Award for his groundbreaking discoveries.^{[citation needed]} He also received the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research in ^[12] and the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement in with Ferid Murad.^[13][14]

Personal life

Furchgott was Jewish^[15] and lived most of his married and career life in Woodmere, New York on Long Island.

He was married to Lenore Mandelbaum (February &#; April )^[16] from until her death at age They had three daughters: Jane, Terry, and Susan. His daughter, Susan, was an designer in the San Francisco counter-culture and co-founder of the Kerista Commune.

Furchgott spent his later years with Margaret Gallagher Roth, who died March 14, ^[17] He served as a professor emeritus at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center.

Robert F. Furchgott – Facts - NobelPrize.org: Robert Francis Furchgott (June 4, – May 19, ) was an American biochemist winning Nobel Prize who contributed to the discovery of nitric oxide as a transient cellular signal in mammalian systems.

In , he moved to Seattle's Ravenna neighborhood.

Death

Furchgott died on May 19, , in Seattle. He is survived by his three daughters, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.^[18]

See also

Further reading

• Anon.

  () "Obituary: Robert Furchgott," The Telegraph (online), May 26, , see,^[19] accessed 11 August

• Raju, T N (), "The Nobel chronicles.
  Robert F. Furchgott, distinguished professor emeritus and chairman of Downstate's Department of Pharmacology from toreceived world-wide recognition for his work, hailed as "brilliantly opening a new domain in science," and revolutionizing scientists' understanding of vascular physiology. Furchgott's groundbreaking finding was that the endothelium, a single layer of cells on the innermost surface of blood vessels, produces a diffusible substance that causes the underlying smooth muscle to relax. Furchgott later showed that the substance, which he called endothelium-derived relaxing factor EDRFwas nitric oxide NO.

  Robert Francis Furchgott (b ), Louis J Ignarro (b ), and Ferid Murad (b ).", Lancet, vol.&#;, no.&#; (published Jul 22, ), p.&#;, doi/s(05), PMID&#;, S2CID&#;

• Rabelink, A J (), "Nobel prize in Medicine and Physiology for the discovery of the role of nitric oxide as a signalling molecule", Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde, vol.&#;, no.&#;52 (published Dec 26, ), pp.&#;–30, PMID&#;
• Laufs, U; Erdmann, E (), "Nitric oxide as a signal molecule in the cardiovascular system.

  Nobel Prize for Medicine in ", Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr., vol.&#;, no.&#;51–52 (published Dec 18, ), pp.&#;–5, doi/s, PMID&#;, S2CID&#;

• Hansson, G K; Jörnvall, H; Lindahl, S G (), "The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.

  Nitrogen oxide as a signal molecule in the cardiovascular system", Ugeskrift for Læger, vol.&#;, no.&#;52 (published Dec 21, ), pp.&#;–8, PMID&#;

• Nielsen, T T; Sørensen, K E (), "Discovery of "endogenous nitroglycerin", NO, as cellular signal molecule", Ugeskrift for Læger, vol.&#;, no.&#;52 (published Dec 21, ), p.&#;, PMID&#;
• Mitka, M (), " Nobel Prize winners are announced: three discoverers of nitric oxide activity", JAMA, vol.&#;, no.&#;19 (published Nov 18, ), p.&#;, doi/jama, PMID&#;
• Hansson, G K; Jörnvall, H; Lindahl, S G (), " Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.

  Nitric oxide as a signal molecule in the cardiovascular system", Läkartidningen, vol.&#;95, no.&#;43 (published Oct 21, ), pp.&#;–8, PMID&#;

References

External links