Gerald D. Aurbach
Gerald D. Aurbach | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 24, 1927 |
| Died | November 4, 1991(aged 64) |
| Alma mater | University of Virginia(Bachelor Degree,1950;MD,1954)[1] |
Gerald D. Aurbach(March 24, 1927 – November 4, 1991) was an Americanmedical scientistnoted for his studies ofparathyroid diseases,bone metabolismandcalcium homeostasis.[1][2] Aurbach was the first researcher to produce ahormoneproduced byparathyroid glands.
Aurbach began studying PTH as a medical student in the lab of Dr. William Parson. He continued this research as a fellow asTufts University School of Medicinein the lab of Ted Astwood. Here, he was the first to isolate PTH using phenol extraction, and in 1959 he published a landmark paper on this discovery. In 1959, he joined the lab ofWilliam Jakobyat theNational Institutes of Health,and two years later he established his own lab in the Metabolic Diseases Branch. He became chief of the branch in 1973, and remained at the institute for the remainder of his career.[1]
He determined that parathyroid hormone acts through cyclic AMP, and demonstrated thatpseudohypoparathyroidismis a disorder of the parathyroid hormone receptor complex.[2]He also characterized several hereditary diseases related to hyperparathyroidism.
In 1973, he was named director of themetabolic diseasesbranch of theNational Institutes of Health,and was elected to theNational Academy of Sciencesin 1986.[2]
Aurbach was killed in 1991 while visiting the University of Virginia in an apparenthomicideby a stone thrown from a car.[2]
Notable awards and distinctions[edit]
- 1960: the John Horsely Memorial Award from theUniversity of Virginia[1]
- 1968: the Andre Lichiwitz Prize fromFrance[1]
- 1981: the William F. Neuman Award of theAmerican Society for Bone and Mineral Research[1]
- 1983: theGairdner Foundation International Award[1]
- 1986: elected to theNational Academy of Sciences[1][2]
- 1985: theEdwin B. AstwoodAward from theEndocrine Society[1]
- 1988: thePublic Health Service Distinguished Service Medal[1]
Memorials[edit]
Both theEndocrine Societyand theAmerican Society for Bone and Mineral Researchhave established memorial lectures in his name.[1]TheUniversity of Virginia School of Medicineestablished the Gerald D. Aurbach Professorship inEndocrinology,and in 2002, dedicated a new medical research building in his name.[1]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
- Ira Pastan, "Gerald Donald Aurbach", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2007)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
   | This article about an American scientist is astub.You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |