TIRANA, Sept. 6, 2023 – Ferid Murad, the distinguished Albanian-American Nobel laureate renowned for his groundbreaking research in cardiovascular medicine, passed away on Sept. 4, 2023, at his U.S. residence. He was 87.

Born in Whiting, Indiana, in 1936, Murad’s journey through life was marked by a relentless pursuit of scientific knowledge and a deep commitment to advancing medical research. 

His father came from an Albanian family in Gostivar, and Murad spoke with pride about his Albanian heritage. He was involved in the Albanian American community and visited the region of his roots often, receiving official honors from Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia.

His career in academia and research spanned several prestigious institutions. For over two decades, he made significant contributions at the University of Virginia until 1981, when he made a pivotal move to Stanford University, where his work continued to make an indelible mark on the field of pharmacology and cardiovascular medicine.

Murad’s trailblazing work in the field earned him the most prestigious accolade in the world of science and medicine, the Nobel Prize. In 1998, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, alongside Robert F. Furchgott and Louis J. Ignarro, for their collective contributions to the discovery of nitric oxide’s pivotal role in cardiovascular health.