Sir James Black Obituary

This picture is of red blood cells leaking from a damaged blood vessel. It was one of the winning pictures from the Wellcome Trust Image Awards 2008.

Last week saw the passing of Sir James Black, a truly remarkable Scottish scientist whose discoveries saved the lives of millions of people. He won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988 and was chancellor of the university of Dundee from 1992 until 2006.

Some of his key drug discoveries included beta blockers and cimetidine for peptic ulcers which were for many years the world's biggest selling drugs. He studied medicine, and graduated in 1946 after which he joined the physiology department at the university of St Andrews. He began at to pursue an academic medical career. Initial research focused on blood flow related to rates of intestinal absorption by specific cell receptors of various substances. By 1956 he had set the goal of developing cell receptor modulators for various disorders but it was in 1963 at the university of Glasgow that he discovered propanolol and the role of beta receptors in controlling heart rate. He described winning the Nobel Prize as "the most exciting week I ever had" and the same year founded the James Black Foundation, a non-profit group of scientists engaged in new drug research. A truly remarkable man.

Also I have to say that I'm loving the BBC's "Wonders of the Solar System", hosted by 'the rockstar physicist' Professor Brian Cox, at the moment!