Richard H. Axel

Richard H. Axel is an American biologist renowned for his groundbreaking work in neuroscience and genetics. He is best known for his research on the sense of smell, particularly how the brain processes odor information through a vast array of olfactory receptors. Along with colleague Linda Buck, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2004 for this discovery. Axel's work has significantly advanced our understanding of sensory biology, influencing fields like neurobiology and molecular biology, and it has implications for understanding how animals and humans perceive their environments.