Krešimir Krnjević

Krešimir Krnjević(7 September 1927 – 16 April 2021) was aCanadian-Britishneurophysiologistof Croatian extraction.

Life and work

Krnjević was born inZagrebin the family of prominent politicianJuraj Krnjevićand spent most of his childhood abroad, including in Geneva, London and Cape Town.He attended theUniversity of Edinburghearning MBChb in 1949, BSc in physiology in 1951 andPhDin 1953all at theUniversity of Edinburgh,where he also won the Goodsir Memorial Fellowship, 1951 for his thesis on “Vagal afferent activity in the nodose ganglion".He continued his post-doctoral studies at theUniversity of Washington,Seattle, 1954–1956, and at theJohn Curtin School of Medical Research,Australian National University,Canberra,1956-1958 after which he returned to theUKas Senior Principal Scientist Research Office atBabraham Institute,Cambridge.

After an invitation to be a visiting professor atMcGill University,Canada in 1964 he remained there as McGill's Director ofAnesthesiaResearch Department until 1999 and professor of physiology from 1978 to 1987.

He gained worldwide recognition early, clarifying the role of chemical control processes in thebrain.Especially important are his discoveries of the nature ofchemical neurotransmitters.For research he used techniques and knowledge he acquired during his stay inCanberra.John W. Phillis and Krnjević discovered inhibitory action ofgamma-aminobutyric acidand excitatory action of glutamate in themammalianbrainand made important contributions to the clarification of the role whichglutamic acidandγ-aminobutyric acid(GABA) have for the signal processing in thebrain.He clarified a slow, but prolonged driving action ofacetylcholine(ACh) and showed that such a specific effect ofAChis associated with a reduction in permeability of nerve cells for K ions. He found a key role of cellular calcium ions in the regulation of membrane permeability for potassium. Notable is his contribution to the elucidation of the physiological processes in thebrainassociated withhypoxia.

In 1981, the publicationCurrent Contentscalled Krnjevic one of the 1,000 most cited contemporary scientists and named three of his papers "citation classics." He was a chief editor of theCanadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology,and published over 200 scientific articles and about 100 book chapters.

Awards, memberships and academic posts (selected)

• 1952-1954Beit Memorial Fellow
• 1975 Fellow of theRoyal Society of Canada
• 1978 Alexander Forbes Lecturer
• 1979 President of the Canadian Physiological Society
• 1983-1993 Council member ofInternational Union of Physiological Sciences
• 1984Gairdner Foundation International Award
• 1987 Officer of theOrder of Canada
• 1989 Jasper Lecturer Canadian Association for Neuroscience
• 1992 Corresponding member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
• 1997Prix Wilder-Penfield
• 1998 Kershman Lecturer, Eastern EEG Association
• 2001Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal

Selected publications

• K. Krnjević; R. Miledi (1958)."Failure of neuromuscular propagation in rats".The Journal of Physiology.140(3): 440–461.PMC1358769.PMID13514717.
• K. Krnjević; J.W. Phillis (1963)."Iontophoretic studies of neurons in the mammalian cerebral cortex".The Journal of Physiology.165(2): 274–304.doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1963.sp007057.PMC1359271.PMID14035891.
• K. Krnjević; J.W. Phillis (1963)."Pharmacological properties of acetylcholine-sensitive cells in the cerebral cortex".The Journal of Physiology.166(2): 328–350.doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1963.sp007107.PMC1359332.PMID16992146.
• K. Krnjević; J.W. Phillis (1963)."Acetylcholine-sensitive cells in the cerebral cortex".The Journal of Physiology.166(2): 296–327.doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1963.sp007106.PMC1359331.PMID14035889.
• K. Krnjević; J.W. Phillis (1963)."Actions of certain amines on cerebral cortical neurones".Br J Pharmacol Chemother.20(3): 471–490.doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.1963.tb01484.x.PMC1703804.PMID14035890.
• Krnjević, K.; Susan Schwartz (1967). "The action of γ-Aminobutyric acid on cortical neurones".Experimental Brain Research.3(4): 320–336.doi:10.1007/BF00237558.PMID6031164.S2CID6891616.
• K. Krnjević (1970). "Glutamate and γ-Aminobutyric Acid in Brain".Nature.228(5267): 119–124.Bibcode:1970Natur.228..119K.doi:10.1038/228119a0.PMID4394110.S2CID4214880.
• K. Krnjević; R. Pumain; L. Renaud (1971)."The mechanism of excitation by acetylcholine in the cerebral cortex".The Journal of Physiology.215(1): 247–268.doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1971.sp009467.PMC1331876.PMID5579661.
• K. Krnjević; A. Lisiewicz (1972)."Injections of calcium ions into spinal motoneurones".The Journal of Physiology.225(2): 336–390.doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1972.sp009945.PMC1331111.PMID5074394.
• K. Krnjević (1974)."Chemical Nature of Synaptic Transmission in Vertebrates".Physiological Reviews.54(2): 418–540.doi:10.1152/physrev.1974.54.2.418.