Episode 53: Interview with Dr. Ignarro

In this special episode, we sit down with Dr. Louis Ignarro, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist with deep Italian American roots. Born to immigrant parents from Naples and Sicily, Dr. Ignarro shares how his upbringing in Brooklyn shaped his journey into the world of science. He reflects on his family’s traditions, his mother’s incredible cooking, and how curiosity led him from experimenting with firecrackers as a child to groundbreaking medical discoveries.
Dr. Ignarro takes us through his fascinating career, including his research on nitric oxide—a molecule that plays a crucial role in heart health—and the moment he received the Nobel Prize in Medicine. We also talk about his love for model trains, fast cars, and the scientific approach he brings to cooking (his cannoli, he promises, is out of this world!).
Join us as we celebrate an Italian American success story that proves that curiosity, determination, and a little bit of red sauce can take you far.