Daniel Drachman, a world-renowned neurologist and neuroscientist whose landmark discoveries formed the foundation for much of today’s research and treatment of neuromuscular diseases, died Oct. 24 at age 90.

He was a leading authority on myasthenia gravis and other neuromuscular diseases. His four decades of discovery on myasthenia gravis, which he determined was an autoimmune illness in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerve receptors in muscles, transformed it from a frequently fatal disease into a highly treatable one. Research Drachman began on the botulinum toxin in the 1970s led to the development of Botox as a clinical treatment for neuromuscular ailments.

Drachman received his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine in 1956 and, with his twin brother David, trained in neurology. One of the founders of the Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology when it opened in 1969, Drachman was the first head of its neuromuscular laboratory and program, serving as chief for 30 years. He trained more than 50 clinical scientists and basic researchers, many of whom became leaders in neuromuscular studies and patient care, and helped establish a postdoctoral training program that is considered among the finest in the country.

“Drachman’s work helped propel neurology into its modern, science-based age, with Johns Hopkins leading the way,” says Justin McArthur, director of the Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology. “Daniel Drachman was a role model of a clinician-scientist in the neuromuscular field.”

An outstanding teacher, mentor and lecturer, Drachman was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2014, one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.

The Drachman home was a gathering place for professional and amateur musicians, including his father-in-law, the late cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, and the late cellist Stephen Kates. The Drachman’s second son, Evan, became a world-renowned cellist.