As a mark of respect to the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sir
James Black, who died on 22 March after a long period of illness,
we will be extending the run of the exhibition in the National
Museum of Scotland telling the story of his life, work and the
impact of his discoveries. The exhibition will now run until the
end of May.
Last year he generously loaned his Nobel Prize Medal and gifted
over 100 medals, certificates, examples and citations from his
illustrious career to the national collections, as an inspiration
to future generations.
Key items form an exhibition in the North Gallery telling the
story of his life, work and the impact of his discoveries.
Born to a mining family in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire, in
1924, the fourth of five brothers, Sir James said that one of his
keys to success was that he was free to daydream. Early in his
career he began experimenting and developing his highly original
ideas about drugs for human use. In 1958 he joined ICI, where he
and his team developed a procedure to block the harmful effects of
adrenaline on damaged hearts. Beta-blockers have saved countless
lives, and improved the quality of life for millions of people with
conditions such as angina.
Only two Scots have ever been awarded The Nobel Prize for
Physiology or Medicine - Sir Alexander Fleming and Sir James
Black. Both Nobel Prize medals will go on display in a gallery
called Shaping Our World when the redeveloped National
Museum of Scotland opens in 2011