Photo: Jim Ceravolo / ceravoloj@montclair.edu / Montclair State University / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Jeffrey M. Friedman is the kind of scientist whose work quietly reshaped how we understand ourselves. Born in Orlando in 1954, the Rockefeller University geneticist discovered leptin, the hormone that regulates body weight, and in doing so reframed obesity as biology rather than mere willpower. The Lasker, Gairdner, King Faisal and Keio prizes on his shelf only hint at the impact. What moves me isn't the trophy count but the idea that a single careful discovery can lift blame off millions of people. I admire researchers like him who chase a hard question for decades and let the results, not the spotlight, do the talking.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Jeffrey M. Friedman
- Name (Japanese)
- ジェフリー・フリードマン
- Reading
- じぇふりー・ふりーどまん
- Born
- July 20, 1954 (age 72)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Horse
- Origin
- Orlando, Florida, United States
- Occupation
- geneticist / university teacher
2. Background
- High school
- George W. Hewlett High School
- University
- Albany Medical College
Awards & achievements
- 2010 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research
- 2005 Canada Gairdner International Award
- 2013 King Faisal International Prize in Medicine
- 2016 Harrington Prize for Innovation in Medicine
- 2009 Keio Medical Science Prize
- 1996 Heinrich Wieland Prize
- 2012 Endocrine Regulation Prize
- 2012 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Jeffrey M. Friedman born?
Born July 20, 1954 (age 72).
Where is Jeffrey M. Friedman from?
Jeffrey M. Friedman is from Orlando, Florida, United States.
What does Jeffrey M. Friedman do?
Jeffrey M. Friedman works as geneticist, university teacher.
University teacher — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.