Bernard Lown, M.D. (born June 7, 1921 in Utena, Lithuania) is the original developer of the defibrillator and is an internationally known peace activist. International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, an organization he helped to create, was awarded the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize for its work against nuclear proliferation. He now has a Cardiovascular Center in Brookline, MA called Lown Cardiovascular Center right in Coolige Corner, and a bridge named in his honor in the twin cities of Lewiston and Auburn, Maine.

Born in Lithuania, he emigrated at age 13 with his parents to the US, initially to Maine shortly before the outbreak of World War II, and subsequently studied to become a specialist in cardiology.

Bernard Lown attended the University of Maine in Orono and majored in Zoology. He graduated from the institution in 1942 and wrote an Honors Thesis entitled "Multiple Alleles in Sex Determination of the Parasitic Wasp, Harborbracon."

Up until the late 1950s, fibrillation of the heart could be treated only by drug therapy. In 1956 American cardiologist Paul Zoll published a paper describing resuscitation of open-heart surgery patients by means of a 110 volt alternating current electric shock (derived from a wall socket) and conducted to the sides of the exposed heart by metal plate "paddles". While being an advance in emergency resuscitation, the technique was later to be shown to be both damaging to the heart muscle and of unpredictable effectiveness in reverting ventricular fibrillation.