# James Black

_Scottish doctor and pharmacologist (1924–2010)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/james-black
Last updated: 2026-11-01

> Sir James Whyte Black born was a Scottish physician and pharmacologist. Together with Gertrude B. Elion and George H. Hitchings, he shared the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988 for pioneering strategies for rational drug-design, which, in his case, led to the development of propranolol and cimetidine. Black established a Veterinary Physiology department at the University of Glasgow, where he became interested in the effects of adrenaline on the human heart. He went to work for ICI Pharmaceuticals in 1958 and, while there, developed propranolol, a beta blocker used for the treatment of heart disease. Black was also responsible for the development of cimetidine, an H2 receptor antagonist, a drug used to treat stomach ulcers.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 14 June 1924 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110974#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Uddingston ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110974#P19))
- **Died:** 21 March 2010 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110974#P570))
- **Place of death:** London ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110974#P20))
- **Citizenship:** United Kingdom ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110974#P27))
- **Occupation:** physician; pharmacologist; pharmacist; inventor; cardiologist; university teacher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110974#P106))
- **Education:** University of St Andrews; University of Dundee; Beath High School ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110974#P69))
- **Positions held:** chancellor (1992–2006) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110974#P39))
- **Awards:** InBev-Baillet Latour Health Prize; Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award; Canada Gairdner International Award; Wolf Prize in Medicine; Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine; Royal Medal; Scheele Award; Order of Merit; Knight Bachelor; Cameron Prize of the University of Edinburgh; honorary doctorate of the University of Salamanca; Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh; Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London; Fellow of the Royal Society; Ellison–Cliffe Lecture ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110974#P166))

## Questions

**When was James Black born?**  
James Black was born on 14 June 1924 in Uddingston.

**What positions has James Black held?**  
Positions held by James Black include: chancellor (1992–2006).

**Where did James Black study?**  
James Black was educated at University of St Andrews, University of Dundee, Beath High School.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): James Black](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Black_(pharmacologist)) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q110974](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110974) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: James Black (pharmacologist).jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (CC BY 4.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Black_(pharmacologist).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article James Black, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: James Black (pharmacologist).jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, CC BY 4.0.

## Cite this page

"James Black". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/james-black. Retrieved 6 November 2026.