Dr. Ferid Murad was a distinguished physician-scientist born on September 14, 1936, in Whiting, Indiana to John Murad, an Albanian immigrant, and Henrietta Bowman, an American. He completed his undergraduate studies at DePauw University in 1958 before earning his combined MD-PhD degree from Case Western Reserve University, graduating at the top of his class in 1965. Following clinical training at Massachusetts General Hospital and research work at the National Institutes of Health from 1967 to 1970, he began his independent research career at the University of Virginia in 1970 as associate professor of medicine and pharmacology. Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Murad held prominent positions at leading institutions including Stanford University, Abbott Laboratories, and the Molecular Geriatrics Corporation before returning to academia at UTHealth McGovern Medical School in 1997 as the inaugural chair of the Department of Integrative Biology, Pharmacology, and Physiology.
Dr. Murad received the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his groundbreaking discovery that nitric oxide functions as a signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system, a finding that revolutionized understanding of cellular communication. His seminal research demonstrated that nitroglycerin, long used to treat heart conditions since 1878, works by releasing nitric oxide which relaxes smooth muscle cells and dilates blood vessels to improve blood flow. In 1976, he was able to show that nitroglycerin produced this effect by emitting nitric oxide, revealing a novel principle for transferring signals between cells through a gaseous molecule. This paradigm-shifting discovery directly informed the development of improved breathing treatments for premature infants and the erectile dysfunction medication Viagra, demonstrating the powerful translational impact of fundamental biochemical research on human health.
Beyond his Nobel Prize-winning discovery, Dr. Murad maintained an exceptionally productive research program for over five decades, building a research program with both clinical and basic studies while recruiting numerous students and fellows to work with him. His laboratory continued to explore new frontiers in nitric oxide signaling well into the 21st century, investigating its role in soluble guanylyl cyclase regulation and embryonic stem cell proliferation and differentiation with typically 15-18 scientists in his team. As a member of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Murad actively engaged with broader scientific issues, signing the Mainau Declaration on Climate Change in 2015 to advocate for environmental action alongside fellow Nobel laureates. Dr. Murad passed away on September 4, 2023, leaving an enduring legacy that continues to shape cardiovascular research and therapeutic development worldwide, with his insights into nitric oxide signaling remaining foundational to modern pharmacology and medicine.
