Ferid Murad (September 14, 1936 – September 4, 2023): American Physician and Pharmacologist

Ferid Murad was an eminent American physician and pharmacologist, recognized for his groundbreaking research on nitric oxide’s role in the human body. Born on September 14, 1936, in Whiting, Indiana, to parents Henrietta Josephine Bowman and Xhabir Murat Ejupi, Murad had a diverse cultural and religious upbringing. He was the oldest of three boys and spent his youth working at the family restaurant.

Education: Murad received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from DePauw University in 1958. Later, he pursued a combined MD-PhD program at Case Western Reserve University, becoming an early graduate of the program. He completed his medical residency and worked in various medical and research positions.

Career: Murad’s pioneering research centered on nitroglycerin and related drugs, demonstrating their mechanism of action by releasing nitric oxide into the body, causing relaxation of smooth muscle. This discovery was a groundbreaking advancement in medicine. He held prominent academic positions at institutions like the University of Virginia, Stanford University, and the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He made significant contributions to integrative biology, pharmacology, and physiology. Murad’s work was acknowledged with prestigious awards, including the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1998.

In his later years, Murad contributed to climate change discussions, highlighting the importance of environmental responsibility. He was an editor for a book series on herbal medicine and remained active in scientific pursuits.

Death: Ferid Murad passed away in Menlo Park, California, on September 4, 2023, at the age of 86, leaving a lasting legacy in the field of medicine and pharmacology.