Andrew Schally Biography

Andrzej Viktor ‘Andrew’ Schally is a Polish-born American endocrinologist who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his pioneering work on the endocrine signaling of the nervous system. He shared the prize with Rosalyn Sussman Yalow and Roger Guillemin. His main study was on the production of peptide hormones that takes place in the brain. His work was centered around the hormones that affect the functions of the pituitary gland such as the ‘thyrotropin-releasing hormone’ or TRH, the ‘gonadotropin-releasing hormone’ or GnRH, also known as the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone’ or LH-RH and somatostatin. His research helped more studies on reproductive endocrinology and neuro-endocrinology later on and also helped in the study of breast and prostate cancer. He also did a lot of pioneering work in the development of synthetic drugs for the treatment of different types of cancers. He had become interested in medical research at an early age of 23 when he joined the ‘National Institute of Medical Research’ and was influenced in his research by famous scientists like Sir Charles Harington, Dr. D. F. Elliot, Dr. R.R Porter, Dr. A. J. P. Martin and others. Though he joined the institute in a very junior position, his work was appreciated by all the senior scientists. His career in medical research took off from this point onward.