Louis Ignarro
Encyclopedia
Louis J. Ignarro is an American
pharmacologist. He was corecipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
with Robert F. Furchgott
and Ferid Murad
for demonstrating the signaling properties of nitric oxide
.
He is currently professor of pharmacology
at the UCLA School of Medicine's department of molecular and medical pharmacology in Los Angeles, which he joined in 1985. Before relocating to California, he was a professor of pharmacology at Tulane University
School of Medicine, New Orleans, for 12 years. Ignarro has also previously worked as a staff scientist, research department, for the pharmaceutical division of CIBA-GEIGY
Corporation in New York.
Ignarro has published numerous articles on his research. He received the Basic Research Prize of the American Heart Association
in 1998, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the advancement of cardiovascular science. That same year, he was inducted into the National Academy of Sciences and the following year, into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
He is the founder of the Nitric Oxide Society, and founder and editor-in-chief of Nitric Oxide Biology and Chemistry. Ignarro holds a B.S. in pharmacy, Columbia University
, 1962, and a Ph.D. in pharmacology, University of Minnesota
, School of Medicine, 1966. He also received a postdoctoral fellowship in chemical pharmacology from National Institutes of Health
in 1968. He is a member of the scientific committee of Nicox
, a French pharmaceutical company, a member of the Board of Directors of Antibe Therapeutics, a Canadian drug discovery company, a member of the Board of Directors of Operation USA
, a non-profit organization, and a member of the Nutritional Advisory Board for Herbalife
, a for-profit nutrition and weight-management company.
and a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Minnesota. His university studies also concentrated in chemistry, enzymology and cardiovascular physiology, and resulted in several published papers. His work continued at the NIH in the fields he'd studied, collaborating with many other scientists to discover regulatory mechanisms of the cardiovascular system that would lead to his most famous work.
to develop Niteworks, a dietary supplement designed to boost the body’s own production of nitric oxide, and later became a member of the company’s Scientific Advisory Board. Ignarro endorsed this product in exchange for a royalty agreement reported to have earned his consulting firm over $1 million in the first 12 months.
Ignarro also promoted Niteworks' ingredients in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
, where, as a member of the National Academy of Sciences
, he can submit papers without review, and furthermore without disclosing his financial interest to the publication. After Ignarro's ties to Herbalife were revealed, the journal issued a correction to the article, citing Ignarro's undisclosed "conflict of interest." Robert F. Furchgott
, who shared the Nobel Prize award with Ignarro, criticized Ignarro's claims about the effectiveness of Herbalife's products, noting that there were no properly controlled studies demonstrating any effectiveness of the products in humans. UCLA conducted its own investigation and determined that Ignarro did not act improperly as all the research was done in Italy and no research funds came from UCLA. Therefore, it was not legally necessary for him to disclose anything. Ignarro presents a one-hour Herbalife promotional video for Niteworks.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pharmacologist. He was corecipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...
with Robert F. Furchgott
Robert F. Furchgott
Robert Francis Furchgott was a Nobel Prize-winning American biochemist.Furchgott was born in Charleston, SC, to Arthur Furchgott and Pena Sorentrue Furchgott...
and Ferid Murad
Ferid Murad
Ferid Murad is an Albanian-American physician and pharmacologist, and a co-winner of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He is also an honorary member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo.- Life :...
for demonstrating the signaling properties of nitric oxide
Nitric oxide
Nitric oxide, also known as nitrogen monoxide, is a diatomic molecule with chemical formula NO. It is a free radical and is an important intermediate in the chemical industry...
.
He is currently professor of pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
at the UCLA School of Medicine's department of molecular and medical pharmacology in Los Angeles, which he joined in 1985. Before relocating to California, he was a professor of pharmacology at Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
School of Medicine, New Orleans, for 12 years. Ignarro has also previously worked as a staff scientist, research department, for the pharmaceutical division of CIBA-GEIGY
Novartis
Novartis International AG is a multinational pharmaceutical company based in Basel, Switzerland, ranking number three in sales among the world-wide industry...
Corporation in New York.
Ignarro has published numerous articles on his research. He received the Basic Research Prize of the American Heart Association
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas...
in 1998, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the advancement of cardiovascular science. That same year, he was inducted into the National Academy of Sciences and the following year, into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
He is the founder of the Nitric Oxide Society, and founder and editor-in-chief of Nitric Oxide Biology and Chemistry. Ignarro holds a B.S. in pharmacy, Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, 1962, and a Ph.D. in pharmacology, University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, School of Medicine, 1966. He also received a postdoctoral fellowship in chemical pharmacology from National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
in 1968. He is a member of the scientific committee of Nicox
NicOx
NicOx S.A. is a French pharmaceutical company. Its headquarters are at Sophia Antipolis...
, a French pharmaceutical company, a member of the Board of Directors of Antibe Therapeutics, a Canadian drug discovery company, a member of the Board of Directors of Operation USA
Operation USA
Operation USA is a non profit humanitarian organization dedicated to helping communities alleviate the effects of disaster, disease, and endemic poverty throughout the world by providing privately-funded relief, reconstruction, humanitarian aid and development aid...
, a non-profit organization, and a member of the Nutritional Advisory Board for Herbalife
Herbalife
Herbalife International is a global nutrition, weight-loss and skin-care company. The company was founded in 1980 and it employs around 4,000 people worldwide. Herbalife reported net sales of USD 2.7 billion in 2010...
, a for-profit nutrition and weight-management company.
Awards and recognitions
- Awarded a Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
in 1998. - By 1998 Ignarro was the winner of 11 consecutive Golden Apples, the award UCLA medical students give to the year's best teacher.
- 2008 American Heart Association Distinguished Scientist.
Early life
Born of Italian immigrants, Ignarro grew up near New York City, and had a predilection for science from an early age, which led to a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from Columbia UniversityColumbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Minnesota. His university studies also concentrated in chemistry, enzymology and cardiovascular physiology, and resulted in several published papers. His work continued at the NIH in the fields he'd studied, collaborating with many other scientists to discover regulatory mechanisms of the cardiovascular system that would lead to his most famous work.
Herbalife relationship
Ignarro worked with HerbalifeHerbalife
Herbalife International is a global nutrition, weight-loss and skin-care company. The company was founded in 1980 and it employs around 4,000 people worldwide. Herbalife reported net sales of USD 2.7 billion in 2010...
to develop Niteworks, a dietary supplement designed to boost the body’s own production of nitric oxide, and later became a member of the company’s Scientific Advisory Board. Ignarro endorsed this product in exchange for a royalty agreement reported to have earned his consulting firm over $1 million in the first 12 months.
Ignarro also promoted Niteworks' ingredients in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, usually referred to as PNAS, is the official journal of the United States National Academy of Sciences...
, where, as a member of the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
, he can submit papers without review, and furthermore without disclosing his financial interest to the publication. After Ignarro's ties to Herbalife were revealed, the journal issued a correction to the article, citing Ignarro's undisclosed "conflict of interest." Robert F. Furchgott
Robert F. Furchgott
Robert Francis Furchgott was a Nobel Prize-winning American biochemist.Furchgott was born in Charleston, SC, to Arthur Furchgott and Pena Sorentrue Furchgott...
, who shared the Nobel Prize award with Ignarro, criticized Ignarro's claims about the effectiveness of Herbalife's products, noting that there were no properly controlled studies demonstrating any effectiveness of the products in humans. UCLA conducted its own investigation and determined that Ignarro did not act improperly as all the research was done in Italy and no research funds came from UCLA. Therefore, it was not legally necessary for him to disclose anything. Ignarro presents a one-hour Herbalife promotional video for Niteworks.
Publications
- NO More Heart Disease: How Nitric Oxide Can Prevent - Even Reverse - Heart Disease and Strokes. New York: St. Martin's Press (2005). ISBN 0312335822.
- Health Is Wealth: 10 Power Nutrients That Increase Your Odds Of Living To 100. Health Value Publications (2009). ASIN: B002RS4388.