David R. Nalin (was born David R. Naliboff) | |
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Born | |
Nationality | American |
Citizenship | United States |
Alma mater | Albany Medical College |
Known for | Oral rehydration therapy, |
Awards | the Pollin Prize for Pediatric Research, the Mahidol Medal, from His Royal Highness the King of Thailand |
Scientific career | |
Institutions | International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh |
David R. Nalin (born April 21, 1941) is an American physiologist, and Pollin Prize for Pediatric Research and Prince Mahidol Award, a.k.a. Mahidol Medal winner. Nalin had the key insight that oral rehydration therapy (ORT) would work if the volume of solution patients drank matched the volume of their fluid losses, and that this would drastically reduce or completely replace the only current treatment for cholera, intravenous therapy. Nalin led the trials that first demonstrated ORT works, both in cholera patients, and more significantly, also in other dehydrating diarrhea illnesses. Nalin's discoveries have been estimated to have saved over 50 million lives worldwide.[1][2][3]