Samuelsson, Bengt Ingemar (1934-2024), was a Swedish biochemist who made significant discoveries concerning prostaglandins and related substances. Prostaglandins are biochemical compounds, similar to hormones, that occur in the bodies of human beings and other mammals. Samuelsson and his colleagues isolated various prostaglandins and examined their properties. He identified the specific prostaglandins that influence bodily functions, such as temperature, blood pressure, and allergic reactions. For this work, Samuelsson shared the 1982 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine with fellow Swede Sune K. Bergstrom and with John R. Vane from the United Kingdom.
Samuelsson was born in Halmstad, Sweden, on May 21, 1934. He studied medicine at Lund University. In 1958, he moved to the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm where, in 1960, he gained a doctorate in biochemistry. After a brief period conducting research at Harvard University in the United States, Samuelsson joined the faculty at the Royal Veterinary College in Stockholm in 1967. He rejoined the staff at the Karolinska Institute in 1972, and from 1977 to 1983 served as the dean of the medical faculty. He died on July 5, 2024.
See also Prostaglandin.
