Contents
David Julius
Identifying molecular sensors that help the body detect heat and cold.
Capsaicin receptor · Cold sensing
- Born
- 4 November 1955
- Birthplace
- New York City, United States
More people
David Julius
David Julius is an American physiologist whose research explains how sensory nerve cells respond to temperature and irritating substances. He shared the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Ardem Patapoutian.
Early life
Brooklyn upbringing
Grew up in Brighton Beach, the son of an engineer and a schoolteacher.
Research training
Studied at MIT and completed a doctorate at Berkeley before postdoctoral work at Columbia.
Career
- 1984
Doctorate
Completed research in biochemistry at Berkeley.
- 1989
UCSF
Joined the University of California, San Francisco.
- 1990s–2000s
Sensory biology
Led research identifying ion channels involved in detecting heat, cold and irritants.
Contributions
Capsaicin receptor
His team identified TRPV1, a channel activated by chilli pepper heat and high temperatures.
Cold sensing
Helped identify TRPM8, which responds to cold and menthol.
Nobel Prize
Shared the medicine prize for discoveries of temperature and touch receptors.
Beyond the lab
New York influences
Described theatre, museums and music as important parts of his youth.
Family example
Credits his parents’ commitment to education with opening opportunities for him.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Nobel autobiography ↗Photo: Christopher Michel. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
