William C. Campbell (scientist)

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William C. Campbell (born 28 June 1930) is an Irish‑American microbiologist who helped develop a groundbreaking treatment for infections caused by roundworms. He and Japanese scientist Satoshi Ōmura discovered avermectin, from which ivermectin was developed. Ivermectin has been highly effective against river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, and other parasitic diseases in people and animals.

Campbell worked at Merck & Co. from 1957 to 1990, eventually leading the Assay Research and Development group, and later became a research fellow emeritus at Drew University. He was born in Ramelton, County Donegal, Ireland, studied zoology at Trinity College, Dublin (BSc, 1952), and earned his PhD at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1957). He became a US citizen in 1964. One notable Merck discovery was the fungicide thiabendazole. In 1987 Merck donated ivermectin to developing countries to fight river blindness, a program coordinated with the World Health Organization; by 2001 tens of millions were treated annually. In 2015 he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for this work. Campbell has written about parasitology and served as a professor at Drew University. He is married to Mary Mastin Campbell and enjoys poetry, painting, table tennis, and kayaking. He was elected to the US National Academy of Sciences in 2002.