It is with great sadness the School of Medicine shares news that Ferid Murad, MD, PhD, a professor emeritus who held appointments in the Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology from 1970-1981, passed away on September 4, 2023 at the age of 86, in Menlo Park, California.
Dr. Murad was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1998 for his groundbreaking discoveries on how nitroglycerin works to treat heart issues like hypertension, making his seminal initial observations while at the University of Virginia. Murad and his collaborators discovered that nitric oxide, released by nitroglycerin, relaxes or widens smooth muscle cells for better blood flow. The discovery helped inform new therapies like improved breathing treatments for premature infants and the development of Viagra for erectile dysfunction.
In 1998, Dr. Murad won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Robert F. Furchgott, PhD, and Louis J. Ignarro, PhD, “for their discoveries concerning nitric oxide as a signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system.”
In addition to winning the Nobel Prize, Dr. Murad was honored with other prestigious awards during his career including the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research, Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement, and American Heart Association, Ciba Award. He also conducted research at Stanford University, George Washington University, and Abbott Laboratories and founded the biotech company Molecular Geriatrics.
Dr. Murad will always be remembered for his incredible legacy in medicine and science and his time as a faculty member at UVA School of Medicine. He was an extraordinary physician, scientist, pharmacologist and educator whose contributions to the field of cardiovascular medicine have left indelible impact on patients in Virginia and beyond.
Read more in the Medicine in Motion article
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