Alfred G. Gilman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alfred G. Gilman
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| Born |
Alfred Goodman Gilman
July 1, 1941 |
| Died | December 23, 2015 (aged 74) Dallas, Texas, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Yale University (B.A., 1962) Case Western Reserve University (MD-Ph.D., 1969) |
| Known for | G proteins |
| Spouse(s) | Kathryn Hedlund |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | John J. Abel Award (1975) Richard Lounsbery Award (1987) Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize (1989) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1994) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Biochemistry Pharmacology |
Alfred Goodman Gilman (born July 1, 1941 – died December 23, 2015) was an American scientist. He was a pharmacologist, studying how medicines affect the body, and a biochemist, studying the chemistry of living things.
In 1994, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Martin Rodbell. They won for discovering G-proteins. These special proteins help cells communicate with each other. This process is called signal transduction.
Gilman's father, Alfred Gilman, was also a famous pharmacologist. He co-wrote a well-known textbook called Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. Alfred Goodman Gilman's middle name came from his father's co-author, Louis S. Goodman.
Alfred Goodman Gilman earned his bachelor's degree in biology from Yale University in 1962. He then went to Case Western Reserve University for his MD-PhD degree, which he finished in 1969. After that, he worked at the National Institutes of Health.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Alfred Goodman Gilman was born in New Haven, Connecticut. His father, Alfred Gilman, was a professor at the Yale School of Medicine. He was also one of the authors of the famous pharmacology textbook, Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. This book was often called the "Blue Bible" of pharmacology.
Gilman's middle name, Goodman, was a tribute to his father's co-author, Louis S. Goodman. The textbook was published in 1941, the same year Alfred Goodman Gilman was born. A friend joked that Gilman was "probably the only person who was ever named after a textbook."
Gilman grew up in White Plains, New York. In 1955, he attended The Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut. He described it as a "strict" place, but it helped him prepare for college.
He studied science at Yale University. There, he met Kathryn Hedlund, who he married in 1963. He graduated in 1962 with a degree in biology and biochemistry.
After Yale, he joined a special MD-PhD program at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He wanted to study with Nobel laureate Earl Sutherland, a friend of his father. Gilman earned his combined degree in 1969.
He then did his postdoctoral research at the National Institutes of Health. He worked with Nobel laureate Marshall Nirenberg from 1969 to 1971. During this time, he developed an important method for studying a molecule called cyclic AMP.
Career and Discoveries
In 1971, Gilman became a professor at the University of Virginia. He moved to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas in 1981. There, he became the head of the Department of Pharmacology. He later served as dean and executive vice president.
Gilman retired from the university in 2009. He then became the chief scientific officer for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. He left this role in 2012.
He also helped start Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company. He founded the Alliance for Cellular Signaling, a group that studies how cells communicate.
Discovery of G-proteins
Gilman's most famous discovery was about G-proteins. In the 1960s, other scientists found that a molecule called cyclic AMP was important for cell signaling. They knew that hormones (first messengers) on the cell surface caused cyclic AMP (second messenger) to be made inside the cell.
Another scientist, Martin Rodbell, discovered that a molecule called GTP was also involved. GTP was released from the cell membrane to activate cyclic AMP. But no one knew exactly how GTP was produced or what connected the hormones to the GTP.
Gilman decided to solve this mystery. He studied cancer cells and found that they couldn't make cyclic AMP when hormones were present. This was because these cancer cells were missing certain proteins.
When he added the missing proteins from normal cells back into the cancer cells, the cells could respond to hormones again. This showed that these missing proteins were the link. They were responsible for sending the hormone's signal to make cyclic AMP by producing GTP.
Between 1977 and 1979, Gilman published his findings. In 1980, he successfully found and isolated these new proteins. He named them G-proteins because they specifically bind to GTP molecules. This discovery was a huge step in understanding how cells communicate.
Defending Science Education
Gilman was also a strong supporter of science education. He spoke out against creationism being taught in science classes. In 2003, he publicly criticized the Texas state board of education for trying to remove evolution from the science curriculum.
He was a leader among scientists, including other Nobel laureates, who spoke out in newspapers. He later joined the Advisory Council of the National Center for Science Education. He believed that science education should be based on facts and evidence.
Awards and Honours
Alfred Goodman Gilman received many awards for his important work:
- Canada Gairdner Foundation International Award (1984)
- Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research (1989)
- Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize (1989)
- Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1994)
He was also elected to the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He received honorary degrees from several universities.
Death
Alfred Goodman Gilman passed away on December 23, 2015, in Dallas, Texas. He was 74 years old and had been battling pancreatic cancer. He was survived by his wife, Kathryn, and their three children.
See also
In Spanish: Alfred G. Gilman para niños
- List of Jewish Nobel laureates
