Houssay, oo SY, Bernardo Alberto (1887-1971), was an Argentine medical researcher who added greatly to scientific understanding of the pituitary gland. The pituitary is a pea-sized organ near the base of the brain that is often called the "master gland" of the body. For his research, Houssay became the first South American scientist to win the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. He shared the 1947 prize with Carl and Gerty Cori of the United States.