(Carl Peter) Henrik Dam was born in Copenhagen on 21st February 1895, to

Emil Dam, apothecary, and his wife Emilie n!e "eterson#, a teacher$
%he young man graduated in chemistry from the "olytechnic &nstitute, Copenhagen in 192', and the same
year was appointed instructor assistant# in chemistry at the (chool of )griculture and *eterinary +edicine,
progressing to instructor in biochemistry at the "hysiological ,aboratory of the -ni.ersity of Copenhagen,
192/$ %he following year saw his marriage, to &nger, n!e 0lsen$
&n 1925 Dam studied microchemistry in 1ra2 )ustria# with F$ "regl$ 3e became )ssistant "rofessor at the
&nstitute of 4iochemistry, Copenhagen -ni.ersity, in 1928, and was promoted to )ssociate "rofessor at the
same place in 1929, continuing to hold this post although he was wor5ing abroad part of the time, till 1961$
0n submitting a thesis Nogle Undersgelser over Sterinernes Biologiske Betydning (ome in.estigations on
the biological significance of the sterines# to the -ni.ersity of Copenhagen in 19/6, Dam was awarded "h$D$
in 4iochemistry$
%o further his studies of the metabolism of sterols, Dam obtained a 7oc5efeller Fellowship and wor5ed in
7udolph (choenheimer8s ,aboratory in Freiburg, 1ermany, during 19/2919//, and later wor5ed with "$
:arrer, of ;urich, in 19/5$ 3e disco.ered .itamin : while studying the sterol metabolism of chic5s in
Copenhagen$ 3e studied this .itamin further with respect to its occurrence and biological function in animals
and plants, as well as its application in human medicine, its fundamental chemical and physical properties
and its purification and isolation 9 the latter part of this research being carried out in collaboration with "$
:arrer$ From the study of .itamin : arose the obser.ation of some new symptoms in e<perimental animals,
such as increased capillary permeability and colouration of adipose tissue, which turned out to be due to the
ingestion of certain fats in the absence of .itamin E$
3e was on a lecture tour of Canada and the -nited (tates under the auspices of the )merican (candina.ian
Foundation in 196'91961, this tour ha.ing been planned before the occupation of Denmar5 by 1erman
troops in )pril, 196'$ 3e was able to carry out research in =oods 3ole +arine 4iological ,aboratories during
the summer and autumn of 1961, and at the -ni.ersity of 7ochester, >$?$, between 196291965 as a (enior
7esearch )ssociate 9 it was during this period that he was awarded the 196/ >obel "ri2e for "hysiology or
+edicine 9 and at the 7oc5efeller &nstitute for +edical 7esearch in 1965 as an )ssociate +ember$
During his absence, Dam was appointed "rofessor of 4iochemistry at the "olytechnic &nstitute,
Copenhagen, in 1961, though the designation of his Chair at the "olytechnic &nstitute was changed to
"rofessor of 4iochemistry and >utrition in 195'$
)fter his return to Denmar5 in 196@, Dam8s main research subAects were .itamin :, .itamin E, fats,
cholesterol, and, in recent years, nutritional studies in relation to gall9stone formation$ 3e has been leader of
the 4iochemical Di.ision of the Danish Fat 7esearch &nstitute from 195@ to 19@2$
3e has published or has collaborated in the publication of about /15 articles on biochemical problems,
mainly concerning the biochemistry of sterols, .itamins : and E, and fats$
"rofessor Dam is a member of the Danish )cademy of %echnical (ciences 196B#C the 7oyal Danish
)cademy of (ciences and ,etters 1968#C he was Correspondant Dtranger, )cad!mie 7oyale de +!decine
de 4elgiEue 1951#C elected 3on$ Fellow of the 7oyal (ociety, Edinburgh 195/#C became Foint 3onorary
"resident, &nternational -nion of >utritional (ciences in 1956, and was Corresponding +ember of the
1erman )ssociation for >utrition in 19@1, following on the award of the >orman +edal by the 1erman
)ssociation for Fat 7esearch the pre.ious year$
From Nobel Lectures, Physiology or Medicine 194219!2, Else.ier "ublishing Company, )msterdam, 19@6
%his autobiographyGbiography was written at the time of the award and first published in the boo5 series Les Pri" Nobel$ &t
was later edited and republished in Nobel Lectures$ %o cite this document, always state the source as shown abo.e$