Dr. Louis Joseph Ignarro is a distinguished American pharmacologist renowned for his paradigm-shifting contributions to cellular signaling mechanisms and cardiovascular physiology. He currently holds the position of Professor Emeritus at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, where he served as Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology from 1993 until his retirement in 2014. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Dr. Ignarro earned his undergraduate degree in pharmacy from Columbia University before completing his PhD in Pharmacology at the University of Minnesota in 1966. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, he began his professional career at Ciba-Geigy Pharmaceuticals, where his work contributed to the development of diclofenac, before transitioning to academia at Tulane University in 1973 where he established his foundational research program.
Dr. Ignarro's most celebrated contribution came through his groundbreaking research demonstrating that nitric oxide functions as a critical signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system, a discovery that fundamentally transformed physiological understanding. His meticulous work culminated in the pivotal 1986 finding that endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) was identical to nitric oxide, representing the first recognition that a gas could serve as a biological messenger in living organisms. This revolutionary insight triggered an explosion of research worldwide and directly facilitated the development of sildenafil (Viagra), earning him recognition as a key contributor to this therapeutic breakthrough. The implications of his research extend far beyond erectile dysfunction treatment, profoundly impacting the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary conditions, immunity, and numerous other physiological processes.
Beyond his Nobel Prize-winning research, Dr. Ignarro has made enduring contributions to scientific community building through founding the Nitric Oxide Society and serving as editor-in-chief of Nitric Oxide Biology and Chemistry. His exceptional teaching abilities were recognized with thirteen consecutive Golden Apple teaching awards from UCLA medical students, reflecting his commitment to mentoring future physician-scientists. Even in retirement, he continues to collaborate with colleagues on advancing research into nitric oxide signaling and related molecules such as hydrogen sulfide and polysulfides. Dr. Ignarro's legacy as a scientific pioneer endures through the countless researchers he has inspired and the millions of patients worldwide who benefit from therapies rooted in his transformative discoveries.
