William Catterall

Professor W. Catterall is Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Washington in Seattle (USA). He is a Member of the US National Academy of Sciences, where he chairs the Physiology and Pharmacology Section.

He studies the molecular structure of ion channels, i.e. the membrane structures responsible for ion transits between the cytoplasmic medium and the external environment or that of intracellular organelles.

In 1980, he described how sodium channels are made up of several subunits. A few years later, he demonstrated how the inactivation gate that closes the sodium channel in a millisecond works. This research has shed light on the molecular analysis of the action of local anesthetics. It is also helping us to understand the mechanisms by which electrical signals are transferred to the central nervous system.

As early as 1984, he was involved in elucidating the protein structure of calcium channels involved in controlling heart rhythm and blood pressure. This structural analysis led him to lead a group of researchers who developed the basis for a classification of the various ion channels, taking into account their functional properties. This classification has become an authority in the scientific world.

He is also known for his efforts to promote neuroscience research aimed at elucidating the mechanisms of brain function.