Eric Hopton for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
All rise! A scientist often known as the “father of Viagra” has been given a Knighthood by the UK Government.
Dr. Simon Campbell began research into Viagra back in the 1980’s, during the 26 years he worked with the drug company Pfizer. It’s great to see anyone “standing up” for science.
The tradition of handing out titles as part of the UK’s New Year Honours List dates back to the 1890’s. The 2015 list gives science a boost by rewarding several leading scientists for their contributions including Knighthoods for Dr Campbell and YouTube science celebrity, “Mad Prof” Martyn Poliakoff.
Members of the public can nominate anyone for an honor for:
• Making a difference to their community or field of work
• Enhancing Britain’s reputation
• Long-term voluntary service
• Innovation and entrepreneurship
• Changing things, with an emphasis on achievement
• Improving life for people less able to help themselves
• Displaying moral courage and doing difficult things
So, it’s great to see science get in on the honours action and redOrbit sends its congratulations to this year’s successful science nominees.
When Doctor, now “Sir”, Campbell worked at Pfizer, his studies involved the search for new drugs to treat high blood pressure. One of his discoveries had an unexpected side effect and it hit the headlines in 1998 when it took the pharmaceutical industry by storm. By then it was known as Viagra. Campbell’s team found that the drug improved blood flow to the penis and it eventually went to market as a treatment for erectile dysfunction. Sadly, history doesn’t tell us just how this first came to light or under what circumstances the discovery was made.
But Dr Campbell likes to play down his role in the creation of Viagra. He told the BBC that, though he co-wrote the initial research proposal, there was no mention of erectile dysfunction. Initially, Viagra was aimed at treating angina and high blood pressure.
Other researchers later took over the chemistry. “I’m not on the Viagra patent,” said Dr Campbell told the BBC, perhaps a little ruefully given Viagra’s commercial success. “If you want, I would say I was the father of Viagra because I laid the seed and started the project. And I was there in New York, on my birthday in March 1998, when it was launched.”
Another scientist to pick up a knighthood is Professor Martyn Poliakoff. Though his main work is in pioneering research in the field of green and sustainable chemistry, Poliakoff is better known for being the brains behind his You Tube sensation, the crazy and wonderful “Periodic Table of Videos”. If you have never watched this wacky science, it has to be a “must see” collection.
The “Mad” Prof does come across as an almost quintessential eccentric mad scientist but there’s no knocking his credentials. He told the BBC that he was “excited and slightly overwhelmed” by the news of his knighthood.
Poliakoff is a pioneer chemistry professor at the University of Nottingham and first started his online video series in 2008. “We made 120 videos in five weeks,” he told BBC News. The “crazy” idea was to make short video for every chemical element. The series was a huge hit on You Tube and the Professor’s millions of fans begged him not to stop. The You Tube channel has now picked up over 80 million hits. For a science themed channel, that’s a fantastic success.
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