William C. Campbell (scientist)
William C. Campbell | |
|---|---|
Campbell in 2015 | |
| Born | 28 June 1930 Ramelton, County Donegal, Ireland |
| Citizenship | Ireland United States (since 1964) |
| Alma mater | Trinity College Dublin University of Wisconsin-Madison (PhD) |
| Known for | Discovery of avermectin |
| Awards | Membership of NAS (2002) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2015) FRS (2020) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Parasitology |
| Institutions | Merck & Co. Drew University |
| Thesis | Fascioloides magna (trematoda) with special reference to the adult in relation to disease (1957) |
William Cecil Campbell FRS (born 28 June 1930) is an Irish-American microbiologist known for his work in discovering a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworms, for which he was jointly awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He helped to discover a class of drugs called avermectins, whose derivatives have been shown to have "extraordinary efficacy" in treating River blindness and Lymphatic filariasis, among other parasitic diseases affecting animals and humans. Campbell worked at the Merck Institute for Therapeutic Research 1957–1990, and has become a research fellow emeritus at Drew University.