Serendipity: translational research, high quality care, and the children's hospital. Jay and Margie Grosfeld Lecture.

The word "serendipity" was coined by Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford, in a letter he wrote in January 1754. He defined serendipity as the making of "….discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which [you] were not in quest of….you must observe that no discovery of a thing you are looking for comes under this description." I would like to make the case that a children's hospital can be a superb setting in which to attempt this feat-to generate Serendipity. I would also like to convince you that this attribute is absolutely essential to providing the very best care for children.

The major impacts of James Black's drug discoveries on medicine and pharmacology.

James Black has many claims to pharmacological fame as the creator of two new classes of drugs (beta-blockers and H2 antihistamines) and as a tireless innovator in drug discovery strategies and analytical procedures. The latter attributes in particular assisted Black in the invention of the prototypes for the two major classes of drugs for which he is best known, propranolol and cimetidine. The clinical impact of these drugs on both morbidity and mortality has been profound. In addition, the application of his analytical approach to drug discovery and pharmacology led others in the field to create many other new classes of drugs. Shortly before he died in 2010, Black wrote a retrospective review of his research career that provides insight into his innovative thinking and career success. This overview affords readers a very personal picture of the man, his ideas and his contributions.

Sir James Black and propranolol. The role of the basic sciences in the history of cardiovascular pharmacology.

The history of cardiology encompasses some of the most revered names in medical history, many belonging to physicians who have advanced knowledge beyond their time. However, there have been countless others whose work in the basic sciences has paid large dividends to clinical cardiology. The original example of such an individual is William Harvey, whose reasoned experimentation led to the understanding of the circulation of blood. Another such man, Sir James Black, has contributed to basic scientific and clinical knowledge in cardiology, both as a physician and as a basic scientist. His invention of propranolol, the beta adrenergic receptor antagonist that revolutionized the medical management of angina pectoris, is considered to be one of the most important contributions to clinical medicine and pharmacology of the 20th century. His method of research, his discoveries about adrenergic pharmacology, and his clarification of the mechanisms of cardiac action are all strengths of his work. In 1988, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Sir James's conclusions and method of research have continued to influence work in clinical pharmacology and cardiovascular medicine. Thus, the development of propranolol runs parallel to most other great achievements in medicine: the genius of a few builds on the accomplishments of many, and the discovery influences thinking long after the breakthrough has occurred.