born Dec. 11, 1925, New York, N.Y., U.S.
U.S. molecular and cellular biologist.
He received his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University. Greengard discovered how dopamine and other neurotransmitters work in the nervous system. He showed that slow synaptic transmission involves protein phosphorylation, a chemical reaction in which a phosphate molecule is linked to a protein, thus changing the protein's function. Along with Eric Kandel and Arvid Carlsson , he was awarded a Nobel Prize in 2000. The findings of these three men resulted in the development of new drugs for parkinsonism and other disorders.