Robert J. LefkowitzArticle Free Pass Robert J. Lefkowitz, in
full Robert Joseph Lefkowitz (born April 15, 1943, Bronx, New
York, U.S.), American physician and molecular biologist who
demonstrated the existence of receptors—molecules that receive
and transmit signals for cells. His research on the structure
and function of cell-surface receptors—particularly of G
protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the largest family of signal-
receiving molecules found in organisms—revolutionized
scientists’ understanding of how cells respond to stimuli such
as hormones and how certain types of drugs exert their actions,
leading to major advances in drug development. For his
groundbreaking discoveries, Lefkowitz shared the 2012 Nobel
Prize for Chemistry with American physician and molecular
biologist Brian K. Kobilka. In 1959 Lefkowitz graduated from the
Bronx High School of Science. He received a scholarship to study
at Columbia College, Columbia University, New York, where he
earned a B.A. in chemistry in 1962. Having decided