Bruce Palmer Bean

Illuminated central issues in the physiology and pharmacology of excitable cells. Experiments advanced understanding of factors shaping activity of heart cells and neurons. Discovered that calcium channel blocking drugs provide clinical benefit by binding with high affinity to inactivated channels, thus relaxing smooth muscles. Studied how G protein coupled receptors regulate Ca2+ influx, thus clarifying the convergence of major modes of cellular signaling. Found that second-to-second control of Ca2+ channels by neurotransmitters can itself be modulated more slowly by protein kinase C. Revived interest in how neurons generate trains of impulses whose frequency encodes information. Found that the same sodium channels that support excitability also control pacemaker activity by generating tiny depolarizing currents at subthreshold potentials. Discovered resurgent sodium current, an inward current triggered with a delay following membrane repolarization, important for pacemaker depolarization. Helped establish that bursting neurons use as many as a dozen distinct membrane components to generate reliable repetitive firing.