Wilhelm Feldberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilhelm Feldberg
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Wilhelm Feldberg in 1990
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| Born | 19 November 1900  Hamburg |
| Died | 23 October 1993 (aged 92) London |
| Occupation | Pharmacologist, physiologist |
Wilhelm Siegmund Feldberg CBE FRS (19 November 1900 – 23 October 1993) was a German-British scientist. He studied how the body works (a physiologist) and living things (a biologist).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Wilhelm Feldberg was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1900. He came from a well-off Jewish family. He decided to study medicine and went to universities in Heidelberg, Munich, and Berlin. He finished his medical studies in 1925.
Moving to England
After graduating, Feldberg moved to England with his wife. He continued his studies at Cambridge University and later worked with a famous scientist named Henry Hallett Dale in Hampstead.
Scientific Career and Discoveries
In 1927, Wilhelm Feldberg went back to Berlin to work at the Physiological Institute. However, in 1933, he had to leave his job. This was because of unfair rules against Jewish scientists at that time.
Research in Britain
With help from a group called the Academic Assistance Council, Feldberg moved back to Britain in 1934. He worked at the National Institute for Medical Research. Here, he teamed up with Henry Hallett Dale again. Their work together was very important. Feldberg's research helped Dale win a Nobel Prize. They studied how nerve cells communicate using chemicals, a process called neurotransmission.
Work in Australia
In 1936, Feldberg moved to Melbourne, Australia. He joined a research team that studied snake venom. This work led him to investigate how the body reacts to different kinds of harm or irritation. He focused on how the body releases natural chemicals, like histamine, during these reactions. One key discovery from this time was finding a special substance involved in severe allergic reactions.
Return to England
Wilhelm Feldberg returned to England in 1938. He became a professor of physiology at Cambridge University. He stayed there through World War II until 1949.
Later Leadership Roles
After his time at Cambridge, Feldberg took on important leadership roles. From 1949 to 1965, he was the Head of the Physiology and Pharmacology Division at the National Institute for Medical Research in London. Later, he led the Laboratory of Neuropharmacology at the same institute until 1974.
Awards and Recognition
Wilhelm Feldberg received many honors for his scientific work.
- In 1947, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in Britain.
- In 1963, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This award recognizes his great contributions.
Helping Other Scientists
Wilhelm Feldberg also helped many other researchers from different countries. For example, in the 1970s, Professor PN Saxena and Professor KP Gupta from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in India worked with him. They published many scientific papers together during their time at the National Institute for Medical Research.
