Our Hall of Fame contains individuals who have played key roles in the development of pharmacology. Members nominated individuals based upon their distinction and peer recognition in science or long and valuable service to the Society.
02 Jun 2016
Elected in 2016
Born on 23 January 1918 in New York City, New York, USA
Died on 21 February 1999 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USAAchievementsIn 1988, Gertrude received the Nobel Prize in Medicine together with her long-time boss and collaborator George Hitchings and Sir James Black ‘for their discoveries of important principles for drug treatment’.She received her first degree in chemistry with distinction from a free college in New York when she was just 19. She had to work...
02 Jun 2016
Elected in 2016
Born on 30 May 1912 in New York City, New York, USA
Died on 29 December 2004 in Rockville, Maryland, USA
AchievementsAxelrod shared the 1970 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the actions of neurotransmitters in regulating the metabolism of the nervous system ("discoveries concerning the humoral transmitters in the nerve terminals and the mechanism for their storage, release and inactivation"). These discoveries had a profound impact on the...
02 Jun 2016
Elected in 2016
Born on 19 August 1927 in Mildenhall, UK
Died on 9 May 2002 in Victoria, Australia
AchievementsRand was the first to publish an account of serotonin’s pharmacological actions, following its identification as the substance released from platelets during the blood clotting process.Having studied for his BSc in biological sciences and MSc in physiology at the University of Melbourne, he hadn’t planned further study in the sciences, but was moved by the early death...
02 Jun 2016
Elected in 2016
Born on 3 June 1873 in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany
Died on 25 December 1961 in New York, USA
AchievementsRegarded as the “father of neuroscience”, Loewi was jointly awarded the 1936 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for demonstrating the chemical transmission of nerve action. He is better known for how he came up with the idea that won the Nobel Prize than for the discovery itself – apparently, it came to him in a dream:
“The night before Easter...
02 Jun 2016
Elected in 2016.
Born on 17 September 1925 in Milnsbridge, UK.
Died on 24 April 2004 in Edinburgh, UK.
AchievementsBest known for his commitment to receptor theory, Steve's ground breaking paper in 1956, published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, was based on a study of the action of acetylcholine analogues on isolated tissues and introduced two novel concepts: spare receptors and efficacy. He proposed that the parameter, efficacy, determined the link between the “strength...
19 Nov 2015
Elected in 2015
Born on 19 August 1885 in Glastonbury, UK
Died on 30 July 1941 in Edinburgh, UK
AchievementsClark was the leading UK pharmacologist during the 1930s, whose ideas underpin much of the modern development of pharmacologyHis enthusiasm for pharmacology came from his training in Natural Sciences and medicine, after which he took up research fellowships leading to appointment as lecturer in pharmacology at Guy’s Hospital in 1913At the end of World War I, he was invited to...
19 Nov 2015
Elected in 2015
Born on 16 June 1914 in Galati, Romania
Died on 3 October 1982 in Athens, Greece
AchievementsEleanor — Nora to her friends — made substantial contributions in neuromuscular and cardiovascular pharmacology, and her work led to the development of methonium compounds and the discoveries of pentamethonium and hexamethonium that lowered blood pressure and decamethonium, the first synthetic neuromuscular blocker, for which she received the Lasker AwardShe was educated...
19 Nov 2015
Elected in 2015
Born on 6 March 1892 in Barnard Castle, County Durham, UK
Died on 13 July 1981, Oxford, UK AchievementsBurn worked on the internal control of the body by the auto(matic)nomic nervous system, carrying out seminal work on the release of noradrenaline from sympatheric nerves and introducing the controversial Burn-Rand hypothesisHe was known for the simplicity for his research, on which he wrote: “methods are good if they are accurate, rapid and simple, and bad if...
19 Nov 2015
Elected in 2015
Born on 22 February 1924 in Markinch, UK
Died on 8 November 2011 in Hertfordshire, UK AchievementsJack’s career started as an apprentice at Boots the Chemists, before he took a joint honours degree in Pharmacy and Pharmacology at Glasgow University and the Royal Technical College (now Strathclyde University) and a PhD from the University of LondonIn 1961, Jack joined Allen and Hanburys (which had been recently acquired by Glaxo Holdings) as Head of Research and...
19 Nov 2015
Elected in 2015
Born on 5 May 1917 in Hendon, UK
Died on 17 October 1993 in Oxford, UKAchievementsPaton was “marked for distinction” at an early age: following his graduation with a first class degree from New College, Oxford, he won gold medals during his clinical training at University College Hospital, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society before the age of 40, and was awarded the Gairdner Foundation International Award at the age of 42He was responsible discovering two...
29 Sep 2014
Elected in 2014
Born on 26 April 1930 in Carlisle, UK
Died on 18 July 2013 in Rockcliffe, UK
AchievementsInspired by his pharmacist father, Bowman began his academic career with a first class degree specializing in pharmacology from the London School of Pharmacy, followed by a PhD from the University of OxfordHe established the Department of Pharmacology at the new University of Strathclyde in 1966, putting Strathclyde firmly on the pharmacological map. He became successively Deputy...