BIOLOGIST
Gerald Edelman
1929 - 2014

Gerald Edelman
Gerald Maurice Edelman (; July 1, 1929 – May 17, 2014) was an American biologist who shared the 1972 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work with Rodney Robert Porter on the immune system. Edelman's Nobel Prize-winning research concerned discovery of the structure of antibody molecules. In interviews, he has said that the way the components of the immune system evolve over the life of the individual is analogous to the way the components of the brain evolve in a lifetime. There is a continuity in this way between his work on the immune system, for which he won the Nobel Prize, and his later work in neuroscience and in philosophy of mind. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Gerald Edelman is the 140th most popular biologist (down from 136th in 2019), the 1,215th most popular biography from United States (up from 1,245th in 2019) and the 23rd most popular American Biologist. Learn more about Gerald Edelman's academic impact at Rankless.
Gerald Edelman is most famous for his theory of neuronal group selection, which states that the brain is a collection of interconnected neurons that are constantly competing for survival.
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Among BIOLOGISTS
Among biologists, Gerald Edelman ranks 140 out of 1,097. Before him are William Jackson Hooker, Lynn Margulis, Gaspard Bauhin, Johann Friedrich Gmelin, Oliver Smithies, and Martin Evans. After him are Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin, Edward B. Lewis, Aimé Bonpland, Daniel Nathans, Charles Scott Sherrington, and E. O. Wilson.
Most Popular Biologists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsWilliam Jackson Hooker
1785 - 1865
HPI: 69.36
Rank: 134
Lynn Margulis
1938 - 2011
HPI: 69.21
Rank: 135
Gaspard Bauhin
1560 - 1624
HPI: 69.16
Rank: 136
Johann Friedrich Gmelin
1748 - 1804
HPI: 69.08
Rank: 137
Oliver Smithies
1925 - 2017
HPI: 69.07
Rank: 138
Martin Evans
1941 - Present
HPI: 69.06
Rank: 139
Gerald Edelman
1929 - 2014
HPI: 69.05
Rank: 140
Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin
1855 - 1935
HPI: 69.01
Rank: 141
Edward B. Lewis
1918 - 2004
HPI: 68.97
Rank: 142
Aimé Bonpland
1773 - 1858
HPI: 68.96
Rank: 143
Daniel Nathans
1928 - 1999
HPI: 68.94
Rank: 144
Charles Scott Sherrington
1952 - 1952
HPI: 68.86
Rank: 145
E. O. Wilson
1929 - 2021
HPI: 68.83
Rank: 146
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1929, Gerald Edelman ranks 64. Before him are James Last, Jean Simmons, Bill Evans, Zoltán Czibor, Günter Schabowski, and Gudrun Burwitz. After him are Paul Lauterbur, Alfred Moisiu, Bernard Haitink, Yevgeny Primakov, E. O. Wilson, and Omar Torrijos. Among people deceased in 2014, Gerald Edelman ranks 40. Before him are Harold Ramis, Adolfo Suárez, H. R. Giger, Richard Kiel, Masaru Emoto, and Efrem Zimbalist Jr.. After him are Tito Vilanova, William R. Pogue, Mickey Rooney, Dobrica Ćosić, Luise Rainer, and Karlheinz Böhm.
Others Born in 1929
Go to all RankingsJames Last
MUSICIAN
1929 - 2015
HPI: 69.50
Rank: 58
Jean Simmons
ACTOR
1929 - 2010
HPI: 69.28
Rank: 59
Bill Evans
MUSICIAN
1929 - 1980
HPI: 69.26
Rank: 60
Zoltán Czibor
SOCCER PLAYER
1929 - 1997
HPI: 69.24
Rank: 61
Günter Schabowski
POLITICIAN
1929 - 2015
HPI: 69.19
Rank: 62
Gudrun Burwitz
POLITICIAN
1929 - 2018
HPI: 69.19
Rank: 63
Gerald Edelman
BIOLOGIST
1929 - 2014
HPI: 69.05
Rank: 64
Paul Lauterbur
CHEMIST
1929 - 2007
HPI: 69.04
Rank: 65
Alfred Moisiu
POLITICIAN
1929 - Present
HPI: 68.98
Rank: 66
Bernard Haitink
MUSICIAN
1929 - 2021
HPI: 68.95
Rank: 67
Yevgeny Primakov
POLITICIAN
1929 - 2015
HPI: 68.88
Rank: 68
E. O. Wilson
BIOLOGIST
1929 - 2021
HPI: 68.83
Rank: 69
Omar Torrijos
POLITICIAN
1929 - 1981
HPI: 68.76
Rank: 70
Others Deceased in 2014
Go to all RankingsHarold Ramis
ACTOR
1944 - 2014
HPI: 70.04
Rank: 34
Adolfo Suárez
POLITICIAN
1932 - 2014
HPI: 69.96
Rank: 35
H. R. Giger
PAINTER
1940 - 2014
HPI: 69.74
Rank: 36
Richard Kiel
ACTOR
1939 - 2014
HPI: 69.68
Rank: 37
Masaru Emoto
WRITER
1943 - 2014
HPI: 69.41
Rank: 38
Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
ACTOR
1918 - 2014
HPI: 69.17
Rank: 39
Gerald Edelman
BIOLOGIST
1929 - 2014
HPI: 69.05
Rank: 40
Tito Vilanova
COACH
1968 - 2014
HPI: 69.02
Rank: 41
William R. Pogue
ASTRONAUT
1930 - 2014
HPI: 68.92
Rank: 42
Mickey Rooney
ACTOR
1920 - 2014
HPI: 68.89
Rank: 43
Dobrica Ćosić
WRITER
1921 - 2014
HPI: 68.78
Rank: 44
Luise Rainer
ACTOR
1910 - 2014
HPI: 68.61
Rank: 45
Karlheinz Böhm
ACTOR
1928 - 2014
HPI: 68.58
Rank: 46
In United States
Among people born in United States, Gerald Edelman ranks 1,215 out of 20,380. Before him are Ted Kennedy (1932), Robert Solow (1924), Carroll O'Connor (1924), Marco Rubio (1971), Robert Venturi (1925), and Linda Hunt (1945). After him are Mark Milley (1958), Paul Lauterbur (1929), John Tate (1925), Bette Midler (1945), Kirstie Alley (1951), and Murray Rothbard (1926).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsTed Kennedy
POLITICIAN
1932 - 2009
HPI: 69.10
Rank: 1,209
Robert Solow
ECONOMIST
1924 - 2023
HPI: 69.10
Rank: 1,210
Carroll O'Connor
ACTOR
1924 - 2001
HPI: 69.10
Rank: 1,211
Marco Rubio
POLITICIAN
1971 - Present
HPI: 69.09
Rank: 1,212
Robert Venturi
ARCHITECT
1925 - 2018
HPI: 69.07
Rank: 1,213
Linda Hunt
ACTOR
1945 - Present
HPI: 69.06
Rank: 1,214
Gerald Edelman
BIOLOGIST
1929 - 2014
HPI: 69.05
Rank: 1,215
Mark Milley
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1958 - Present
HPI: 69.05
Rank: 1,216
Paul Lauterbur
CHEMIST
1929 - 2007
HPI: 69.04
Rank: 1,217
John Tate
MATHEMATICIAN
1925 - 2019
HPI: 69.04
Rank: 1,218
Bette Midler
ACTOR
1945 - Present
HPI: 69.04
Rank: 1,219
Kirstie Alley
ACTOR
1951 - 2022
HPI: 69.04
Rank: 1,220
Murray Rothbard
ECONOMIST
1926 - 1995
HPI: 69.03
Rank: 1,221
Among BIOLOGISTS In United States
Among biologists born in United States, Gerald Edelman ranks 23. Before him are John Hopfield (1933), Robert Whittaker (1920), Hamilton O. Smith (1931), Sam Harris (1967), John Franklin Enders (1897), and Lynn Margulis (1938). After him are Edward B. Lewis (1918), Daniel Nathans (1928), E. O. Wilson (1929), Howard Martin Temin (1934), Joshua Lederberg (1925), and Thomas Huckle Weller (1915).
John Hopfield
1933 - Present
HPI: 69.81
Rank: 17
Robert Whittaker
1920 - 1980
HPI: 69.55
Rank: 18
Hamilton O. Smith
1931 - Present
HPI: 69.52
Rank: 19
Sam Harris
1967 - Present
HPI: 69.51
Rank: 20
John Franklin Enders
1897 - 1985
HPI: 69.41
Rank: 21
Lynn Margulis
1938 - 2011
HPI: 69.21
Rank: 22
Gerald Edelman
1929 - 2014
HPI: 69.05
Rank: 23
Edward B. Lewis
1918 - 2004
HPI: 68.97
Rank: 24
Daniel Nathans
1928 - 1999
HPI: 68.94
Rank: 25
E. O. Wilson
1929 - 2021
HPI: 68.83
Rank: 26
Howard Martin Temin
1934 - 1994
HPI: 68.62
Rank: 27
Joshua Lederberg
1925 - 2008
HPI: 68.62
Rank: 28
Thomas Huckle Weller
1915 - 2008
HPI: 68.45
Rank: 29