Salvador Moncada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Salvador Moncada
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 3 December 1944 |
| Other names | Salvador Enrique Moncada Seidner |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom Honduras |
| Alma mater |
|
| Known for | Prostacyclin |
| Spouse(s) |
Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium
(m. 1998) |
| Children | 4 |
| Awards | |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Pharmacology |
| Institutions | |
Sir Salvador Enrique Moncada Seidner, born on December 3, 1944, is a famous scientist from Honduras and Britain. He is a pharmacologist, which means he studies how medicines and other chemicals affect the body. Currently, he leads cancer research at the University of Manchester.
In the past, Sir Salvador was the Research Director at the Wellcome Research Laboratories. He also started and directed the UCL Wolfson Institute at University College London. His work focuses on how the body reacts to inflammation and how blood vessels work. He is also studying how cells grow and divide. He is well-known for his discoveries about nitric oxide, a special molecule in the body.
In 2023, the President of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, chose Sir Salvador to be Honduras's first Ambassador to China. This happened after Honduras decided to recognize the People's Republic of China. The Embassy in Beijing officially opened in June 2023.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Salvador Moncada was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in 1944. He moved to El Salvador in 1948. He went to high school in San Salvador from 1957 to 1961.
In 1962, he began studying medicine at the University of El Salvador. He earned his medical degree (MD) in 1970. The next year, in 1971, he moved to London. There, he started working on a research doctorate with Professor John Vane at the Royal College of Surgeons. In 1974, he received his PhD in Pharmacology from the University of London.
After a short time doing research in Honduras, he joined the Wellcome Research Laboratories in Kent in 1975. He became the director of research there in 1986. In 1983, he also earned a higher Doctor of Science (DSc) degree from the University of London. In 1996, Sir Salvador moved to University College London. He directed the UCL Wolfson Institute until 2011 and was a professor there until 2013.
Amazing Discoveries in Research
Sir Salvador's science career began when he helped discover how aspirin-like medicines work. They found that these drugs stop the body from making certain chemicals called prostaglandins. This explained why aspirin helps with pain, fever, and swelling. It also showed why aspirin can sometimes upset your stomach.
In 1975, at the Wellcome Research Laboratories, his team found an important enzyme called thromboxane synthase. They also discovered prostacyclin, a chemical that helps blood vessels relax. This work helped us understand how a small dose of aspirin can prevent heart attacks and strokes.
As research director, he oversaw the discovery of several important medicines. These include lamotrigine for epilepsy, atovaquone for malaria, and zomig for migraine headaches. He also started the work that led to lapatinib, a medicine for breast cancer.
One of his biggest achievements was identifying nitric oxide as a key messenger in the body. He figured out how the body makes it. Much of the early research on how nitric oxide affects the heart and blood vessels came from his lab. His team also found out about its role in the nervous system and in cancer. More recently, his work has focused on how cells get energy and how they grow. He has found out how cell growth is connected to the energy cells need.
Other Interests
Sir Salvador is very interested in medical education. He also cares about helping science and technology grow in Latin America. He has advised the Panamerican Health Organization, which is part of the World Health Organization. He also started Honduras Global, a group of experts who help support Honduras's development.
Awards and Honours
Sir Salvador Moncada has received many awards and honours for his scientific work. He is a member of several important scientific groups around the world. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1988. This is a very high honour for scientists in the UK. He is also a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in London.
Many universities have given him honorary degrees. These include the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City and the Universite Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris. He also received an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
Some of his notable prizes include:
- The Prince of Asturias Award (1990)
- The Royal Medal from the Royal Society (1994)
- The Louis and Artur Lucian Award (1997)
- The Gold Medal of the Royal Society of Medicine (2000)
- The Grand Prix scientifique de la Fondation Lefoulon-Delalande from the Institut de France (2002)
- The Ernst Jung Prize Gold Medal for Medicine (2013)
In 2010, Queen Elizabeth II made him a knight for his great contributions to science.
Personal Life
Sir Salvador Moncada was first married to Dorys Lemus. They had two children: Claudia Regina, who is a doctor in London, and Salvador Ernesto. Later, on April 5, 1998, he married Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium in London. They have two children, Alexandra Leopoldine and Leopoldo Daniel, and two grandchildren.
See also
In Spanish: Salvador Moncada para niños
