World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Award Badge
Best Scientists
2025
Award Badge
Biology and Biochemistry
USA
2023

D-Index & Metrics

Best Scientists

D-Index
193
Citations
126782
World Ranking
379
National Ranking
252

Chemistry

D-Index
171
Citations
90200
World Ranking
63
National Ranking
37

Biology and Biochemistry

D-Index
194
Citations
128825
World Ranking
42
National Ranking
35

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2025 - Research.com Best Scientists Award
  • 2023 - Research.com Biology and Biochemistry in United States Leader Award
  • 2010 - Canada Gairdner International Award
  • 2009 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • 2008 - Fellow of the Royal Society, United Kingdom
  • 2000 - Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • 2000 - Member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM)
  • 1994 - Member of Academia Europaea
  • 1989 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences

Overview

William A. Catterall was affiliated with the University of Washington in the United States. Their research contributions focused primarily on biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology, with significant work in neuroscience. The scientist's subfields of study included molecular biology, cellular and molecular neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular medicine, geophysics, and electrical and electronic engineering.

The research topics covered by William A. Catterall spanned:

  • Ion channel regulation and function
  • Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias
  • Neuroscience and neuropharmacology research
  • Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors study
  • Neuroscience and neural engineering
  • Seismic waves and analysis
  • Plant and biological electrophysiology studies

Their publication record included work in several venues with multiple papers published in each, such as:

  • OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information)
  • IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology CITE
  • Biophysical Journal
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

Some of the recent papers associated with their research were:

  • THE CONCISE GUIDE TO PHARMACOLOGY 2021/22: Ion channels (2021, British Journal of Pharmacology)
  • The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2023/24: Ion channels (2023, British Journal of Pharmacology)
  • Computational design of transmembrane pores (2020, Nature)
  • Sodium channelopathies of skeletal muscle and brain (2021, Physiological Reviews)
  • Open-state structure and pore gating mechanism of the cardiac sodium channel (2021, Cell)

The scientist collaborated frequently with other researchers, including Tamer M. Gamal El-Din, Lige Tonggu, Michael J. Lenaeus, Ning Zheng, and Goragot Wisedchaisri.

William A. Catterall received several awards reflecting recognition by the scientific community, such as:

  • Canada Gairdner International Award (2010)
  • Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (2009)
  • Fellow of the Royal Society, United Kingdom (2008)
  • Member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) (2000)
  • Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2000)
  • Member of Academia Europaea (1994)
  • Member of the National Academy of Sciences (1989)

Best Publications

  • International Union of Pharmacology: Approaches to the Nomenclature of Voltage-Gated Ion Channels

    W. A. Catterall;K. G. Chandy;D. E. Clapham;G. A. Gutman

  • Structure and regulation of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels.

    William A. Catterall

  • From Ionic Currents to Molecular Mechanisms: The Structure and Function of Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels

    William A Catterall

  • International Union of Pharmacology. XLVIII. Nomenclature and Structure-Function Relationships of Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels

    William A. Catterall;Alan L. Goldin;Stephen G. Waxman

  • Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels

    William A. Catterall

  • The crystal structure of a voltage-gated sodium channel

    Jian Payandeh;Todd Scheuer;Ning Zheng;William A. Catterall

  • Neurotoxins that Act on Voltage-Sensitive Sodium Channels in Excitable Membranes

    William A. Catterall

  • Structure and function of voltage-sensitive ion channels

    William A. Catterall

  • Structure and function of voltage-gated ion channels.

    William A. Catterall

  • Nomenclature of voltage-gated sodium channels.

    Alan L. Goldin;Robert L. Barchi;John H. Caldwell;Franz Hofmann

  • Cellular and molecular biology of voltage-gated sodium channels.

    William A. Catterall

  • The IUPHAR/BPS Guide to PHARMACOLOGY in 2016: towards curated quantitative interactions between 1300 protein targets and 6000 ligands

    Christopher Southan;Joanna L. Sharman;Helen E. Benson;Elena Faccenda

  • Letter to the EditorNomenclature of Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels

    Eric A. Ertel;Kevin P. Campbell;Michael M. Harpold;Franz Hofmann

  • Molecular mechanisms of neurotoxin action on voltage-gated sodium channels.

    Sandrine Cestèle;William A Catterall

  • Molecular determinants of state-dependent block of Na+ channels by local anesthetics

    David S. Ragsdale;Jancy C. McPhee;Todd Scheuer;William A. Catterall

  • Modulation of Ca2+ channels by G-protein beta gamma subunits.

    Stefan Herlitze;David E. Garcia;David E. Garcia;Ken Mackie;Bertil Hille

  • Overview of the voltage-gated sodium channel family

    Frank H Yu;William A Catterall

  • A cluster of hydrophobic amino acid residues required for fast Na(+)-channel inactivation

    J W West;D E Patton;T Scheuer;Y Wang

  • Identification and differential subcellular localization of the neuronal class C and class D L-type calcium channel alpha 1 subunits.

    Johannes W. Hell;Ruth E. Westenbroek;Concepcion Warner;Michael K. Ahlijanian

  • Voltage-gated sodium channels at 60: structure, function and pathophysiology.

    William A. Catterall

  • Primary structure and functional expression of the beta 1 subunit of the rat brain sodium channel

    L. L. Isom;K. S. De Jongh;D. E. Patton;B. F. X. Reber

Frequent Co-Authors

Todd Scheuer
Todd Scheuer University of Washington
Ruth E. Westenbroek
Ruth E. Westenbroek University of Washington
Ning Zheng
Ning Zheng University of Washington
Johannes W. Hell
Johannes W. Hell University of California, Davis
Lori L. Isom
Lori L. Isom University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
Alan L. Goldin
Alan L. Goldin University of California, Irvine
Bertil Hille
Bertil Hille University of Washington
Michael Gurevitz
Michael Gurevitz Tel Aviv University
Régis Pomès
Régis Pomès University of Toronto
Jörg Striessnig
Jörg Striessnig University of Innsbruck

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Advancing your studies in Biology and Biochemistry can open doors to a wide range of careers in healthcare, research, and management. With the rise of online education, there are flexible options for professionals seeking to enhance their expertise without interrupting their careers.

For those interested in healthcare management, the top cahme accredited mha programs offer a direct pathway into leadership roles in hospitals and medical facilities. If your focus is on clinical practice, exploring a dnp program without clinical hours can be a convenient route, allowing advanced nurses to expand their knowledge and impact patient outcomes.

Professionals aiming to reach the highest levels of healthcare administration should consider the best online dha programs. For those drawn to the pharmaceutical industry, enrolling in an online pharmacy school can lead to specialized clinical or research-based roles.

Each of these online degrees supports diverse career pathways, making it easier to tailor your education to your professional ambitions in biology, biochemistry, and broader health sciences.

Best Scientists Citing William A. Catterall