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Corneille Heymans
Physiologist

Corneille Heymans

Famoose for

Explaining how the body senses blood chemistry to regulate breathing.

Carotid-body reflexes

Born
28 March 1892
Birthplace
Ghent
Died
18 July 1968

More people

Florence NightingaleHelping establish modern professional nursing.Alexander FlemingDiscovering penicillin’s antibacterial effect.Edward JennerDeveloping smallpox vaccination using material from cowpox.

Corneille Heymans

Corneille Heymans was a Belgian physiologist awarded the 1938 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Early life

Education

Studied at Ghent University and obtained his medical doctorate in 1920.

Career

  1. 1922

    Ghent lecturer

    Began teaching pharmacodynamics.

  2. 1930

    Institute leadership

    Succeeded his father as professor and institute director.

  3. 1938

    Nobel Prize

    Recognised for research on respiratory regulation.

Contributions

Carotid-body reflexes

Demonstrated how chemical changes in blood trigger nerve signals affecting breathing.

Beyond research

Family

Married ophthalmologist Berthe May.

Sources & photo creditBiography and career ↗Biographical references ↗

Original photograph. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.

Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.