Rudolph Schoenheimer

Rudolph Schoenheimer (May 10, 1898, - September 11, 1941) was a German/ US biochemist who developed the technique of radioactive tagging of molecules, enabling detailed study of metabolism.

Born in Berlin, after graduating in medicine from the Friedrich Wilhelm University there, he lectured in biochemistry at the universities Leipzig and Freiburg.

In 1933, he moved to Columbia University to join the radiochemistry laboratory of Harold C. Urey where he worked with David Rittenberg and Konrad Bloch using radioactive isotopes to tag foodstuffs and trace their metabolism within living things.

He further established that cholesterol is a risk factor in atherosclerosis.

His death was adjudged to be due to suicide.