Society for Neuroscience 2024 Promotion of Women in Neuroscience Awards

Society for Neuroscience 2024 Promotion of Women in Neuroscience Awards

CHICAGO - The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) will honor seven researchers who have made significant contributions to the advancement of women in neuroscience. The awards will be presented during Neuroscience 2024, SfN's annual meeting.

"Neuroscience is both a field of research and a community of researchers," said SfN President Marina Picciotto. "These awardees not only advance our field's understanding of the brain through their own research, they strengthen and support others in the neuroscience community so that they too may drive our field forward."

Bernice Grafstein Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Mentoring:
Nina Schor and Marina Wolf

The Bernice Grafstein Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Mentoring recognizes individuals dedicated to developing the careers of female neuroscientists. Named after and endowed by Bernice Grafstein, PhD, the first female president of SfN, the award recognizes leaders who have aided the early careers of women neuroscientists and facilitated their retention in the field.

This year's awardees for outstanding accomplishments in mentoring are Nina Schor, MD, PhD, and Marina Wolf, PhD. Both have earned reputations as supportive mentors and advocates for women in the neurosciences, with ongoing career-advancement efforts for their trainees, even after they move on to new positions.

Schor is the deputy director for intramural research in the National Institutes of Health's Office of the Director and serves as neurology director for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. During her distinguished career as a pediatric neurologist, Schor's research has focused on neural crest development, neuronal cell death, and targeted therapy for neuroblastomas, the most common form of cancer in infants and young children. Schor has received numerous commendations for her teaching and mentoring, and she has mentored more than 80 students and postdoctoral fellows in addition to numerous medical students and early career faculty. In addition to her leadership roles at the NIH in strategic planning and career development programs, Schor has played a key role in creating national programs that have empowered countless female neuroscientists.

Wolf is a professor of Behavioral Neuroscience at Oregon Health & Science University and a leading researcher in the neurobiology of substance use disorders. Her research on the role of synaptic plasticity in animal models of drug addiction has implications for treating substance use disorders in humans. She is known for her staunch support of students and postdoctoral fellows in her laboratory throughout their careers. Wolf is also dedicated to inspiring women to consider careers in neuroscience and mentoring neuroscientists so that they remain in the field. Through membership in professional societies including SfN, Wolf has advocated for diversity - including professional development programs for female scientists - and led such efforts as president of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. She considers mentoring efforts in her laboratory and through these organizations as highlights of her career.

Mika Salpeter Lifetime Achievement Award: Maria Spillantini

The Mika Salpeter Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes neuroscientists with outstanding achievements in research who have significantly promoted the professional advancement of women in neuroscience. The award includes a $5,000 prize and travel to the SfN annual meeting.

This year's award recipient is Maria Grazia Spillantini, a professor at the University of Cambridge in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences. Her work has greatly contributed to the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and how two proteins called tau and alpha-synuclein form aggregates in neurons. These aggregates are involved in the development of neurodegenerative diseases that are now known as tauopathies and alpha-synucleinopathies. Spillantini's pioneering research established that tau dysfunction is sufficient to cause neurodegeneration and dementia in diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia, and that alpha-synuclein dysfunction is linked to Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, and multiple system atrophy.

Spillantini's work contributed to the identification of the six tau isoforms in the human brain and to show that all six are present in the paired helical filaments in AD. She identified one of the first mutations in MAPT (the tau gene) which causes an inherited form of frontotemporal dementia, that is one of the most common causes of early onset dementia. This finding, coupled with her foundational research into how microglia phagocytose neurons containing tau aggregates and become senescent, could advance the development of therapies for tauopathies.

Spillantini was the first to show that Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites, the characteristic neuropathological lesions of Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, are made of filaments formed by the protein alpha-synuclein that she and her colleagues had previously described and whose gene they had named SNCA. Spillantini also described alpha-synuclein in the filaments of the inclusions of multiple system atrophy, establishing this disease as a third major synucleinopathy. This deeper understanding of diseases caused by abnormal alpha-synuclein could result in better diagnostic tools and mechanism-based therapies for many neurodegenerative diseases.

Spillantini has published more than 300 scientific articles; she is a fellow of the Royal Society, the Academia Europaea, the UK Academy of Medical Sciences and a member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). Spillantini has won numerous awards, including the Potamkin Prize and the Thudichum Medal and has been made Knight Officer of the Star of Italy by the President of the Italian Republic. Spillantini is a vocal advocate for greater gender equality and diversity in neuroscience and champions women in science through empowerment, sponsorship, and mentorship. Former trainees speak of her dedication to fostering a collaborative and inclusive laboratory environment. Her more than 45 former students and postdoctoral scholars say they felt prioritized above all.

Janett Rosenberg Trubatch Career Development Award:
Amber Alhadeff and Vidhya Rangaraju

The Janett Rosenberg Trubatch Career Development Award promotes successful academic transitions prior to tenure by recognizing early career professionals who have demonstrated originality and creativity in their research. The award is supported by the Trubatch Family and includes a $2,000 prize to each recipient.

This year's awardees are Amber Alhadeff, PhD, and Vidhya Rangaraju, PhD. Their research investigates how specific brain mechanisms and cellular functions contribute to behaviors such as hunger and energy supply. Each researcher's innovative work has advanced the understanding of complex neuronal networks and cellular energy processes, respectively. Overall, their research contributes to a more detailed understanding of how neuronal circuits respond to distinct stimuli to mediate behavior - foundational knowledge that could lead to treatment advances for a wide range of human health issues.

Alhadeff is an assistant member at the Monell Chemical Senses Center and adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania. As a postdoctoral fellow, she discovered that hunger can selectively eliminate perception of and response to long-term pain, pinpointing this response to a mere 300 neurons that project from the hindbrain to hypothalamus. The Alhadeff laboratory examines how external stimuli such as food and drugs influence neuronal activity in specific brain circuits in mice. She combines sophisticated in vivo techniques with advanced microscopy, behavioral, and surgical approaches to examine the neural activity underlying gut-brain signaling. This work focuses on "satiety" neurons in the hindbrain, "hunger" neurons in the hypothalamus, and "reward" dopamine circuits in the midbrain, potentially providing insights into human health problems such obesity, type 2 diabetes, and substance use disorders. Her latest groundbreaking research is the discovery that separate neural circuits mediate the weight loss effects versus aversive side effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists, a class of new FDA-approved obesity drugs (e.g., Ozempic).

Rangaraju, a research group leader at Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, is being honored for originality and creativity in research early in an academic career. Her work explores how the energy created by mitochondria (adenosine triphosphate, or ATP) influences neurons involved in learning, memory, and behavior. As a PhD student, Rangaraju developed sophisticated ways to visualize ATP levels inside nerve terminals during synaptic transmission; the resulting sensor has been patented to measure ATP in cells. During her postdoctoral research, Rangaraju discovered that mitochondria are spatially stabilized near synapses to be local energy hubs during memory formation. Now, as principal investigator of the Rangaraju Laboratory, she has identified key proteins in dendrites that tether mitochondria near synapses to support learning and memory. This discovery of new links between molecular energy sources and changes in fine-scale synaptic structures of neural circuits has implications for processes such as learning, memory, and behavior in normal and pathological conditions. Her research into mitochondrial stabilization and local energy supply in neurons has direct implications for the disruptions in motor and cognitive function in neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Louise Hanson Marshall Special Recognition Award:
Laura Andreae and Michelle Jones-London

The Louise Hanson Marshall Special Recognition Award honors individuals who have significantly promoted the professional development of women in neuroscience through teaching, organizational leadership, public advocacy, or other efforts. The award includes travel to the SfN annual meeting.

This year's two awardees are Laura Andreae, PhD, and Michelle Jones-London, PhD. Both have made significant contributions to increasing diversity within the greater neuroscience community through their institutional leadership.

Andreae is a professor at the Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at King's College London and an accomplished researcher known for her work on circuit formation in neurodevelopmental disorders. Her outstanding contributions earned her an appointment as a FENS-Kavli Scholar in 2016. Beyond research, Andreae is a leading advocate for women and under-represented groups at global, national, and community levels. 

Andreae was pivotal in establishing infrastructure to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in neuroscience internationally. Upon joining the ALBA Network in 2020, a global initiative that promotes equity and diversity in neuroscience, Andreae helped develop the ALBA Declaration of Equity and Inclusion. This landmark report provides evidence-based guidelines for individuals and organizations, and signatories now include 224 organizations and 748 individuals. As a member of ALBA's leadership team since 2021, and as chair 2022-2023, Andreae has contributed to initiatives such as travel grants for those in low-income countries, diversity training, and data collection on DEI-relevant issues. Her position in SfN's Diversity and Inclusion working group 2020-22 also enhanced speaker diversity at SfN events. 

Within the United Kingdom, Andreae has been equally active. She was instrumental in creating the British Neuroscience Association's Scholars Program which provides mentorship, networking opportunities, and financial support to students and early career researchers from under-represented ethnic groups.  At King's College London, Andreae runs the PhD program at the Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders. She is a solution-oriented mentor, with compassion for events that disproportionately impact women and under-represented groups including parental leave, mental health, and microaggressions. 

Andreae's proactivity within her own community and internationally has positively influenced individual career trajectories and systemic policy. Her thoughtful attention to all steps - from student admission to retention and eventual success as an independent researcher - ensures that improved diversity at the early career level will be reflected in future neuroscience leaders. 

Jones-London is associate director of the Office of Programs to Enhance the Neuroscience Workforce (OPEN) in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Office of the Director. She was instrumental in forming OPEN in 2017 to direct diversity training and workforce development, and she represents NINDS at all levels in the NIH in matters pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Jones-London has an outstanding track record of accomplishment in identifying and removing barriers that women encounter in science and in developing innovative strategies to promote entry, recruitment, retention, and sustained advancement of women - especially neuroscientists and those from underrepresented communities - in biomedical and research careers. At NINDS, her work comprises three complementary yet distinct domains: improving neuroscience research and neurological health across the country via training and development programs, using evidence-based research to create inclusive communities of researchers, and promoting welcoming environments for the entire internal NINDS workforce to advance the institute's mission.

Jones-London designed several programmatic interventions to increase equity and inclusion not only at NINDS but within the NIH Blueprint (12 neuroscience Institutes and Centers) and NIH BRAIN Initiative. A data-driven approach is a hallmark of her leadership and the lack of representation of women in the BRAIN Initiative research areas led to her development of the first diversity K99/R00 mechanism at NIH. This program has literally changed the face of representation for women in this research area. Another example of this successful approach is the "Why Survey," in which 2,000 early career scientists shared their viewpoints on career decisions, including what caused them to either leave or remain in academic research careers. In response, she crafted initiatives to provide financial support to female researchers during important transitions such as becoming parents or dealing with a serious illness, and she implemented professional development for women scientists so they not only remain in the workforce but also succeed at every stage of their career development.

Jones-London's visionary leadership and ability to successfully motivate diverse collaborators across NIH and the broader biomedical research community have resulted in measurable DEI advances in the NIH neuroscience and biomedical workforce. As a former Neuroscience Scholar Program (NSP) Fellow and research trainee, she experienced early on the power of sponsorship and community. Paying these lessons forward, Jones-London's advocacy and mentorship have been transformational for women's career advancement at NIH and can serve as a model for research institutions nationally and globally.

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