Candace Pert dies at 67; neuroscientist discovered opiate receptor
Wednesday, September 25, 2013 - 13:30
in Health & Medicine
Candace Pert identified the first opiate receptor in 1973, a finding that opened a new field of studying the brain's biochemistry. She later helped found Rapid Pharmaceuticals to explore potential treatments for HIV, autism and Alzheimer's disease.Shortly before she entered graduate school at Johns Hopkins University in 1970, Candace Pert broke her back in a riding accident. Dulling the pain from her injury with morphine led her to speculate about how the drug exerted its effects on the brain.