by Jose Mario Ponce Science has changed the course of history. Mankind has benefited from the arduous work of men and women who have dedicated their entire lives to research and experimentation in order to gain knowledge and work towards the betterment of humanity as a whole. When we ponder on science and on the people who have greatly influenced it, names like Einstein, Newton, Curie, and Pascal come first to our minds. But you’ve probably never heard about a Honduran scientist who has been a pioneer in the field of medicine, Professor Sir Salvador Moncada, who was born on December 3, 1944 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He was born to a Honduran father and an English mother and in 1948 moved to neighboring El Salvador, where he studied medicine from 1962 to 1970, thus beginning his successful career. In 1971, Moncada moved to London where he worked on his PhD in the Department of Pharmacology in the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons. He then briefly returned to his home country and conducted research at the National University of Honduras. From 1975 to 1995, Professor Moncada worked at the Wellcome Research Laboratories, first as Head of Prostaglandin Research and then as Director of Research. He described the structure of prostacyclin, which acts as an effective vasodilator and also prevents blood platelets from clumping. During the 1980’s and 1990’s he was one of the most cited scientists worldwide and he still continues to be one of the top 100 most cited scientists in the area of medicine and pharmacology.
Salvador Moncada’s greatest contribution to science is without doubt his discovery of nitric oxide as an important neurotransmitter, as a modulator of inflammation and a sensor of cellular distress, and as a regulator of vessel tone. This discovery led Professor Moncada to be renowned worldwide by the medical and scientific community. His discovery led to the testing and development of new drugs that can treat cardiovascular and rheumatoid diseases. Professor Moncada was appointed Director of the Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research at University College in 1995. In 1998 he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in medicine but did not receive it. It was instead awarded jointly to North American scientists, Dr. Robert F. Furchgott, Louis J. Ignarro, and Ferid Murad. This raised many questions and allegations as Professor Moncada was recognized by more than 90 universities and institutions as the primary researcher and discoverer of nitric oxide as a neurotransmitter. Even Nobel prize awardee Dr. Furchogtt said, “I feel that the Nobel Prize Committee could have made an exception this year and chosen a fourth person, Salvador Moncada, to share the prize.” Even though Professor Moncada was not awarded the prize he has received an enormous number of other awards. He has received honorary degrees from more than 20 universities. His honors include: The VIII Gaddum Memorial Lecture, British Pharmacological Society; The Royal Medal of the Royal Society, UK; and The Louis and Artur Lucian Award (jointly with Prof. Furchgott), McGill University, Montreal, Canada. Most famously, in 2010 he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to science and in 2013 he was awarded the Ernst Jung Gold Medal for Medicine. He continues to pursue scientific research as Director of the Institute of Cancer Sciences at the University of Manchester. Not only has Professor Moncada dedicated his life to scientific research, he also leads multiple humanitarian missions in his home country of Honduras. He has been involved with programs that help the development of science and technology education in Latin America. He has also served in the Panamerican Health Organization, a subsidiary of the World Health Organization (WHO). He recently founded Honduras Global, an organization led by international experts which focuses on the development of Honduras. He is currently married to Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium and they have two children. Professor Moncada currently lives in London. a
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May 2024
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