Robert F. Furchgott


Robert Francis Furchgott was a Nobel Prize-winning American biochemist who contributed to the discovery of nitric oxide as a transient cellular signal in mammalian systems.

Early life and education

Furchgott was born in Charleston, South Carolina, to Arthur Furchgott, a department store owner, and Pena Furchgott. He graduated with a degree in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and went on to earn a Ph.D in biochemistry at Northwestern University, immediately joining a medical faculty thereafter.

Career

Furchgott was faculty member of Cornell University Medical College from 1940 to 1949, of Washington University School of Medicine from 1949 to 1956, and State University of New York Downstate Medical Center from 1956 to 2009, as professor of pharmacology.
In 1978, Furchgott discovered a substance in endothelial cells that relaxes blood vessels, calling it endothelium-derived relaxing factor. By 1986, he had worked out EDRF's nature and mechanism of action, and determined that EDRF was in fact nitric oxide, an important compound in many aspects of cardiovascular physiology. This research is important in explaining a wide variety of neuronal, cardiovascular, and general physiologic processes of central importance in human health and disease.
In addition to receiving the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of nitric oxide as a new cellular signal—shared in 1998 with Louis Ignarro and Ferid Murad
Furchgott's discovery, that NO gas causes blood vessels to dilate, provided a long sought-after explanation for the therapeutic effects of Nitroglycerin used to treat Angina pectoris and was later instrumental in the development of the erectile dysfunction treatment drug Viagra.
In 1991, Furchgott received a Gairdner Foundation International Award for his groundbreaking discoveries. He also received the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research in 1996 and the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement in 1999 with Ferid Murad.

Personal life

Furchgott, who was Jewish, lived for most of his married and career life in Woodmere, NY. He was married to Lenore Mandelbaum from 1941 until she died aged 68. They had three daughters: Jane, Terry and Susan. His daughter, Susan, was a prolific artist in the San Francisco counter culture and a co-founder of the Kerista Commune. Robert Furchgott spent his later years with Margaret Gallagher Roth, who died March 14, 2006. He served as a professor emeritus at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center. In 2008 he moved to Seattle's Ravenna neighborhood. Furchgott died on May 19, 2009 in Seattle. He is survived by his three daughters, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.