William A. Catterall was a pioneering molecular biologist and pharmacologist at the University of Washington who fundamentally transformed our understanding of electrical signaling in living cells. Born in Providence, Rhode Island on October 12, 1946, he completed his BA in Chemistry at Brown University in 1968 and earned his PhD in Physiological Chemistry from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1972. Following postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health with Nobel laureate Marshall Nirenberg, he joined the University of Washington Department of Pharmacology in 1977 as an associate professor, rising to full professor in 1981. His remarkable 33-year tenure as Chair of Pharmacology from 1983 to 2016 cemented his legacy as a visionary academic leader who elevated the department to national prominence and co-founded the undergraduate neurobiology program in 2000.
Renowned as the 'father of ion channels,' Catterall's research isolated and identified voltage-gated sodium and calcium channels as multi-subunit glycoproteins, transforming them from theoretical constructs to proteins of known structure and sequence. His early studies established the molecular basis of ion channel function for cardiac and neuronal excitability, revealing their composition and biophysical properties with unprecedented precision. Catterall translated these basic discoveries into preclinical applications by identifying genetic variations in ion channel genes as targets for numerous diseases, bridging the gap between fundamental science and medical applications. His prolific scholarship, comprising over 500 scientific papers, established foundational knowledge that continues to guide therapeutic development for neurological disorders, cardiac conditions, and pain management.
Beyond his research, Catterall profoundly shaped the field through academic leadership, mentoring generations of scientists who now lead laboratories worldwide and building the University of Washington Pharmacology department into a top-10 program internationally recognized for excellence. His department achieved fifth worldwide ranking by U.S. News & World Report in 2016 under his stewardship, reflecting his commitment to recruiting faculty in specialized areas like opioid and cannabinoid pharmacology. Elected to the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and Royal Society of London, his scientific authority extended to editorial leadership of Molecular Pharmacology and founding membership on Neuron's editorial board. Though his sudden passing on February 28, 2024, cut short an active research career at age 77, Catterall's legacy endures through the ongoing work of his trainees and the continued relevance of his discoveries to understanding cellular electrical signaling.
