Constantin Levaditi
Constantin Levaditi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1 August 1874 |
| Died | 5 September 1953 |
| Nationality | Romanian |
| Alma mater | Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy Collège de France |
| Known for | Co-discoverer of the poliovirus Treatment of syphilis by bismuth |
| Awards | Cameron Prize for Therapeutics of the University of Edinburgh (1928) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | |
| Institutions | Pasteur Institute Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy |
| Doctoral advisor | Victor Babeș |
Constantin Levaditi (1 August 1874 – 5 September 1953) was a Romanian physician and microbiologist, a major figure in virology and immunology (especially in the study of poliomyelitis and syphilis).[1]
Biography[]
He was Born in Galați, but his father, Spyridon Livaditis of Greek descent (from Macedonia, Greece) was 30 years old and working as a customs officer. His mother, Ioanna Stefa ̆nescu, then aged 18 years, was the daughter of peasants from Focsani. The family name originates from the name of the town of Livadia (Livaditis means one who comes from Livadia). The researcher Pierre Lepine (1901–87) reported that Spyridon Livaditis was a member of the Filiki Eteria (Society of Friends), established to organize the 1821 Greek Revolution against the Ottoman empire under the leadership of Prince Alexander Ypsilantis (1792–1828).[2]
He studied at the Matei Basarab College in Bucharest and at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, where he studied under Victor Babeş. He then trained at the Collège de France in Paris, and with Paul Ehrlich in Frankfurt. In 1900, he was accepted by Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov to work in his team at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. Sometime after, Pierre Paul Émile Roux awarded him an independent laboratory within the Institute.
With Karl Landsteiner, he discovered in 1909 the presence of the poliovirus in tissues other than nervous. He expanded on these studies during a polomyelitis outbreak in Sweden, working with Scandinavian researchers (among them Karl Oskar Medin); he was able to isolate the poliovirus on tissue explant and made precious observations on its characteristics. Together with Carl Kling, he authored the first monograph dedicated to the disease, La Poliomyélite aiguë épidémique (1913). His work was the basis for the development of vaccinea (by Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin).
In his studies of syphilis, Levaditi introduced new techniques in serology, and recommended bismuth in its treatment.
After 1920, he continued his work in Romania, where he taught at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest. He was a member of the Académie Nationale de Médecine and an honorary member of the Romanian Academy. In 1928, Levatidi was awarded the Cameron Prize for Therapeutics of the University of Edinburgh.
References[]
- ^ Abstract of J. Lascaratos, G. Kalantzis, P. Skiadas, Constantin Levaditi: An unknown pioneer in immunology research
- ^ Kalantzis G, Skiadas P, Lascaratos J. Constantin Levaditi (1874–1953): a pioneer in Immunology and Virology. Journal of Medical Biography. 2006;14(3):178-182. doi:10.1258/j.jmb.2006.05-30
External links[]
- Short presentation at lincolnshirepostpolio.org.uk
- (in Romanian) Biography at infobacau.ro
- (in Romanian) Biography at virology.ro
- (in French) Levaditi archive funds at the Pasteur Institute
- 1874 births
- 1953 deaths
- People from Galați
- Romanian academics
- Honorary members of the Romanian Academy
- Romanian bacteriologists
- Romanian emigrants to France
- Serologists
- Romanian virologists
- Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy alumni
- Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy faculty
- Deaths in Paris
- Académie Nationale de Médecine