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James W. Black

 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Sir James Whyte Black

(born June 14, 1924, Uddingston, Scot.) Scottish pharmacologist. Through studying interactions between receptors on cells and chemicals in the bloodstream that attach to them, Black developed the first of the beta-blocking drugs, to relieve angina pectoris. He used a similar approach to develop drugs for stomach and duodenal ulcers. He shared a 1988 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with George H. Hitchings and Gertrude Elion.

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Scientist: Sir James Whyte Black
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British biochemist (1924–)

Black graduated from St. Andrews University in 1946 and, after a number of academic posts, joined ICI as a pharmacologist (1958–64). After working with Smith, Kline and French he became professor of pharmacology at University College, London (1973–77), before joining Wellcome as Director of Therapeutic Research (1978–84). Since 1984 he has been professor of analytical pharmacology at King's College Hospital, London.

Black has been associated with two important advances in pharmacology. In the 1950s he isolated the first beta blockers. These are compounds that prevent the stimulation of certain nerve endings (beta receptors) in the sympathetic nervous system, thus reducing heart activity. Beta blockers are widely used to treat hypertension and angina. His subsequent work has been concerned with the control of gastric ulcers and his discovery of the drug cimetidine, which reduces acid secretion in the stomach and is used to treat ulcers in the stomach and duodenum. For this work and his earlier work on beta blockers he was awarded the 1988 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine.

 
Columbia Encyclopedia: Sir James Black
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Black, Sir James, 1924-, Scottish pharmacologist, M.D. Univ. of St. Andrews, 1946. A professor at Kings College Medical School, he shared the 1988 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with George Hitchings and Gertrude Elion for his contributions to the area of drug treatment. He discovered important drugs that treat angina, gastric ulcers, hypertension, migraines, and other health problems.
Wikipedia: James W. Black
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Sir James Whyte Black
Born 14 June 1924 (1924-06-14)
Nationality Scottish
Fields chemistry
Institutions University of Malaya
University of Glasgow
ICI Pharmaceuticals
University College London
King's College London
Alma mater University College, Dundee
Known for inventing Propranolol and synthesizing Cimetidine
Notable awards Lasker award (1976)
Artois-Baillet Latour Health Prize (1979)
Nobel Prize for Medicine (1988)
Royal Medal (2004)

Sir James Whyte Black, OM, FRS, FRSE, FRCP (born 14 June 1924) is a Scottish doctor and pharmacologist who invented Propranolol, synthesized Cimetidine and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988 for these discoveries.[1]

Contents

Early life and education

Black was educated at Beath High School, Cowdenbeath, Fife, Scotland, and the University of St Andrews, Fife, where he studied medicine. Before 1967, including his time as a student, all of St Andrews' clinical medical activity took place at Queen's College, which separated to become the University of Dundee, of which Black later became Chancellor. He joined the Physiology department at the University of St Andrews before taking a lecturer position at the University of Malaya.

Career

Upon his return to Scotland in 1950, he joined the University of Glasgow (Veterinary School) where he established the Physiology Department. During his career he worked in both industry and academia. He was employed by ICI Pharmaceuticals (1958-1964), Smith, Kline and French (1964-1973) and the Wellcome Foundation (1978-1984) and was appointed professor of pharmacology at University College London (1973-1978) and King's College London (1984-1992).

Scientific and clinical contributions

Sir James Black contributed to basic scientific and clinical knowledge in cardiology, both as a physician and as a basic scientist. His invention of propranolol, the beta adrenergic receptor antagonist that revolutionized the medical management of angina pectoris, is considered to be one of the most important contributions to clinical medicine and pharmacology of the 20th century.[2][3] His method of research, his discoveries about adrenergic pharmacology, and his clarification of the mechanisms of cardiac action are all strengths of his work.[4] He was greatly involved in the discovery of cimetidine, at the time a brilliant molecule that helped prevent stomach ulcers. This discovery of histamine receptor antagonists lead to such medicines as Zantac.

Other offices

Sir James was the Chancellor of the University of Dundee between 1992 and May 2006. In August 2006, the Sir James Black Centre was officially incorporated into the College of Life Sciences at the university.

Honours and awards

He was created a Knight Bachelor in 1981. In 2000 Sir James was appointed to the Order of Merit by Queen Elizabeth II.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1976 and the same year he was awarded the Lasker award.[5] In 1979, he was awarded the Artois-Baillet Latour Health Prize.

See also

References

Academic offices
Preceded by
Earl of Dalhousie
Chancellor of the University of Dundee
1992-2006
Succeeded by
Baron Patel

 
 

 

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Scientist. A Dictionary of Scientists. Copyright © Market House Books Ltd 1993, 1999, 2003. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "James W. Black" Read more