David Julius, a Jewish physiologist and professor at the University of California, San Francisco, was awarded the Nobel Prize this year for his discovery of the protein receptor responsible for our perception of temperature and touch.

David Julius was born on November 4, 1955, in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. After receiving a B.S. (Bachelor of Sciences) degree in life sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Julius went on to get his doctorate in biochemistry at UC Berkeley. Dr. Julius studied at Richard Axel’s Laboratory, focusing

on neuropharmacology and receptor function. He joined UCSF in 1989 and continued his study in serotonin receptors.

Dr. Julius studied how protein receptors, specifically TRP ion channels, reacted to various substances by studying chemicals in horse- radish, toxins of various poisonous animals, and the molecules that deliver the burning sensation of chili peppers (capsaicin). He concluded that TRP, a pain-signaling apparatus in the nervous system, may serve as a potential new target for future medicines. Julius then studied proteins such as TRPV1, an ion channel of the outer tips of the sensory nerves, and discovered that it is responsible for heat detection and burning sensations. His research in these compounds helps future scientists understand receptors in the skin, which aids research against chronic pain. Juluis’s research not only opens the gate to many future developments in the field of chronic medication, but also acts as an inspiration to Jews around the world who want to make a difference in the medical field.