Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849-1936) was a Russian doctor (physiologist) who is now remembered for his work on conditioned reflexes in dogs. He discovered that if he always rang a bell each time he fed a dog, the dog would continue to react to the bell even when food was withheld. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on digestion.
Born in Ryazan on September 14, 1849, Ivan Pavlov, the son of a priest, attended Ryazan Seminary for four years and then the University of St. Petersburg where he studied science and then medicine. After receiving his M.D. degree in 1883, he traveled to Germany to work under two leading physiologists. Two years later he returned to St. Petersburg where he began his experiments at the Military Medical Academy. Pavlov's work was in three basic areas: circulation of the blood, action of the digestive glands, and formation of conditioned reflexes. His research on techniques causing neuroses in dogs laid the foundation for scientific study of mental illness in humans.
Pavlov achieved worldwide fame as his writings were translated into German,French, and English.
