Lutz Birnbaumer

Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina


Primary Section: 23, Physiology and Pharmacology
Membership Type:
Member (elected 1995)

Biosketch

Birnbaumer is NIH Scientist Emeritus and Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Pontificia Catholic University of Argentina. He received a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina (1966), and was a Posdoctoral fellow at the NIH (1967-1971), Assiciate Professor of Physiology, Northwestern University (1971-1975), Professor of Cell Biology at Baylor College of Medicine (1975-1994), Professor of Anesthesiology and Biological Chemistry at UCLA School of Medicine (1994-2001), Chair of Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology at the UCLA College of Letters and Science (1996-2001) and Principle Investigator at NIEHS, NIH, in North Carolina (2001-2013). He is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences.  Birnbaumer is best known for his contribution together with Martin Rodbell to the discovery and development of the field of Signal Transduction by G proteins. In addition, he contributed to the elucidation of the primary structure of voltage gated calcium channel subunits and his laboratory discovered, followed by elucidation of the primary structure of the seven membered mammalian family of TRPC (transient receptor potential, canonical) channels. 

Research Interests

At present Birnbaumer is studying molecular mechanisms that regulate intracellular calcium levels and in collaboration with others the physio-pathological roles of TRPC channels using genetically modified mice he created at UCLA and at the NIEHS as research tools.

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