10 April: Remembering Bernardo Alberto Houssay on Birthday

OV Digital Desk
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Bernardo Alberto Houssay

Image Courtesy: Google Doodle

Bernardo Alberto Houssay (10 April 1887 – 21 September 1971) was an Argentine physiologist. Houssay was a co-recipient of the 1947 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for discovering the role played by pituitary hormones in regulating the amount of glucose in animals, sharing the prize with Carl Ferdinand Cori and Gerty Cori.

Life and Career

He was born on 10 April 1887, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was the son of French immigrants and was educated at the University of Buenos Aires.

Houssay’s research focused on the endocrine system and the regulation of blood sugar levels. He discovered the role of the pituitary gland in regulating glucose metabolism and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1947 for his work in this area.

In addition to his research, Houssay was a dedicated educator and served as a professor of physiology at the University of Buenos Aires for many years. He also founded the Institute of Physiology at the university, which later became the National Institute of Medical Research and is now known as the Bernardo Houssay Institute.

In his personal life, Houssay was married to a fellow scientist, Maria Angelica Catan, and they had three children together.

Houssay passed away on 21 September 1971, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the age of 84. His contributions to the field of physiology and his dedication to education and scientific research have had a lasting impact on the scientific community and continue to be celebrated today.

Award and Legacy

Bernardo Alberto Houssay’s contributions to the field of physiology have been widely recognized, and he received numerous awards and honors during his lifetime. In addition to his Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1947. He also received James Cook Medal in 1948.

Houssay’s legacy continues to be celebrated in the scientific community, and his work has paved the way for further research into the endocrine system and the regulation of blood sugar levels. His discovery of the role of the pituitary gland in glucose metabolism has had a significant impact on the understanding and treatment of diabetes.

The Bernardo Houssay Institute, which he founded, remains a leading center for medical research in Argentina and has produced many notable scientists in the field of physiology. His dedication to education and scientific research has also inspired many others to pursue careers in these fields.

He holds honorary degrees of twenty-five universities and is a member of the Argentine National Academy of Medicine, the Academy of Letters, the National Academy of Sciences of Buenos Aires, the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences of Buenos Aires, and of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. He is an honorary professor of 15 universities, a foreign associate of 11 academies or learned societies, and a member (honorary or correspondent) of 38 Academies, 16 Societies of Biology, 11 of Endocrinology, 7 of Physiology, and 5 of Cardiology. He has been decorated by the governments of several countries.

On 10 April 2013, Google celebrated Bernardo Alberto Houssay’s 126th Birthday with a doodle.

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