Bernard Lown

Bernard Lown (June 7, 1921 – February 16, 2021) was a Lithuanian-American cardiologist and inventor. Lown was the original developer of the direct current defibrillator for cardiac resuscitation, and the cardioverter for correcting rapid disordered heart rhythms. He introduced a new use for the drug lidocaine to control heartbeat disturbances.

Throughout his medical career, Lown focused on two major medical challenges: the problem of sudden cardiac death and the role of psychological stress on the cardiovascular system. His investigations led to many medical break-throughs, among them the coronary care unit. His work made possible and safe much of modern cardiac surgery, as well as a host of other innovations. In 1985, Lown accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, an organization he co-founded with Soviet cardiologist Yevgeny Chazov, who later was Minister Of Health of the USSR.

Lown was Professor of Cardiology Emeritus at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Senior Physician Emeritus at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. He was the founder of the Lown Cardiovascular Center and Lown Cardiovascular Research Foundation. He also founded the Lown Institute, which aims to reform both the healthcare system and society.