Louis J.

Louis J. Ignarro - Biography. American pharmacologist Birth May 31, 1941 Place of Brooklyn, New York Birth Known for Discovering that the human body uses the gas nitric oxide as a chemical signal to regulate cell activity. For this discovery, he shared the 1998 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with colleagues Robert Furchgott and Ferid Murad. Career 1962 Completed his B.S. in pharmacology at Columbia University in New York 1966 Received his Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Minnesota 1968-72 Worked as a pharmacological researcher for the Ciba-Geigy Corporation 1972-78 Taught pharmacology as an assistant, and subsequently associate, professor at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans 1979-85 Taught pharmacology as a professor at the Tulane University School of Medicine 1985- Taught pharmacology at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine Did You Ignarro and his colleagues' Nobel-winning discovery was initially rejected by most scientists. Know Nitric oxide is most commonly known as an air pollutant capable of damaging the lungs and causing chemical burns. One of nitric oxide's functions in the body is to signal muscle tissue surrounding blood vessels to relax, allowing more blood to flow. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.