Hannah Monyer
Encyclopedia
Hannah Monyer is a Romanian-born (Transylvanian Saxon) German neurobiologist and, since 1999, she has been Director of the Department of Clinical Neurology at the University Hospital in Heidelberg. In 2004 she was awarded the 1.55 million euro
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
. She received the Philip Morris Research Prize—described by Bio-pro as "one of the most prestigious science awards in Germany"—in 2006. In 2010, the European Research Council
awarded her a total of 1.87 million euros for her research.
Her research has examined the composition of NMDA receptor
s and their expression patterns in brain cell populations. NMDA receptors are relevant to synaptic plasticity
and ultimately to the brain's capacity to remember and learn. She has also shown that there are different kinds of glutamate receptor
, studied various neurological disorders, and the modulation of gamma-Aminobutyric acid
interneurones in a genetic paradigm. She developed the new techniques in molecular analysis that underlie her work.
Monyer is an associate editor of Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, published by the University of Heidelberg, and a member of the Senate of the Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen ( "German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases".)
After receiving her MD in 1983, Monyer did postdoctoral work at Stanford University
Medical Centre. She returned to Heidelberg in 1989, where she received a Schilling endowment professorship before setting up her own research group.
The Siebenbürgische Zeitung ( "Transylvanian Newspaper") describes her as "multilingual and highly musical", mentioning her proficiency with the piano and her ability to speak to most of her multinational employees in their own language.
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize is a research prize awarded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft every year since 1985 to scientists working in Germany. This highest German research prize consists of a research grant of 2.5 million euro, to be used within seven years...
. She received the Philip Morris Research Prize—described by Bio-pro as "one of the most prestigious science awards in Germany"—in 2006. In 2010, the European Research Council
European Research Council
The European Research Council is the independent body that funds investigator-driven frontier research in the European Union . It is part of the Seventh Research Framework Programme ....
awarded her a total of 1.87 million euros for her research.
Her research has examined the composition of NMDA receptor
NMDA receptor
The NMDA receptor , a glutamate receptor, is the predominant molecular device for controlling synaptic plasticity and memory function....
s and their expression patterns in brain cell populations. NMDA receptors are relevant to synaptic plasticity
Synaptic plasticity
In neuroscience, synaptic plasticity is the ability of the connection, or synapse, between two neurons to change in strength in response to either use or disuse of transmission over synaptic pathways. Plastic change also results from the alteration of the number of receptors located on a synapse...
and ultimately to the brain's capacity to remember and learn. She has also shown that there are different kinds of glutamate receptor
Glutamate receptor
Glutamate receptors are synaptic receptors located primarily on the membranes of neuronal cells. Glutamate is one of the 20 amino acids used to assemble proteins and as a result is abundant in many areas of the body, but it also functions as a neurotransmitter and is particularly abundant in the...
, studied various neurological disorders, and the modulation of gamma-Aminobutyric acid
Gamma-aminobutyric acid
γ-Aminobutyric acid is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. It plays a role in regulating neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system...
interneurones in a genetic paradigm. She developed the new techniques in molecular analysis that underlie her work.
Monyer is an associate editor of Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, published by the University of Heidelberg, and a member of the Senate of the Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen ( "German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases".)
After receiving her MD in 1983, Monyer did postdoctoral work at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
Medical Centre. She returned to Heidelberg in 1989, where she received a Schilling endowment professorship before setting up her own research group.
The Siebenbürgische Zeitung ( "Transylvanian Newspaper") describes her as "multilingual and highly musical", mentioning her proficiency with the piano and her ability to speak to most of her multinational employees in their own language.