Brigitte Kieffer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brigitte Kieffer
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Brigitte Kieffer en 2014.
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| Born | 26 February 1958 |
| Nationality | French |
| Citizenship | France |
| Alma mater | University of Strasbourg |
| Known for | Discovery of delta-... receptor linked to pain and addiction |
| Awards | 2004 Richard Lounsberry Prize, 2012 Lamonica Prize for Neurology, 2014 L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Molecular Psychiatry, Addiction, Mood Disorders, Pain, and Developmental disorders |
| Institutions | University of Strasbourg, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), Institut de génétique et de biologie moléculaire et cellulaire (IGBMC), McGill University |
Dr. Brigitte Kieffer (born February 26, 1958) is a French scientist who studies the brain. She is known for her important work on how our brains react to certain substances. Her research helps us understand how the brain deals with pain, sadness, and how people can become dependent ....
Dr. Kieffer is a leader in understanding how our brains work. ..... They also explain why some powerful substances can make people feel dependent on them. She continues to lead a large team of scientists in their research.
Her Life and Career
Brigitte Kieffer started her career as a professor at the University of Strasbourg in France. This was the same university where she had studied. Later, she became the Research Director for a French research group called INSERM.
In 2001, she returned to Strasbourg. There, she continued her research at a place called IGBMC. She even directed IGBMC from 2002 until 2013. In 2014, Dr. Kieffer moved to Montreal, Canada. She became a Professor of Psychiatry at McGill University. She also became the Scientific Director at the Research Centre of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute.
Her Amazing Discoveries
In 1992, Dr. Kieffer made a huge breakthrough. She was the first to find and isolate a specific gene in the brain. ..... Scientists had been trying to find this for 15 years!
..... It can also create feelings of pleasure and help us handle stress. Certain powerful substances can activate these receptors. This can sometimes lead to people becoming dependent on them.
Dr. Kieffer's discovery opened the door to new ways to treat pain. It also helped scientists better understand how the brain works when people struggle with sadness or become dependent on substances. Her research has led to new pain medicines.
..... These problems can be linked to feelings like anxiety and severe depression. She has studied how certain powerful substances can affect the brain. For example, she researched how mice showed signs of sadness after they stopped receiving a powerful substance. This helps explain why some people struggle with dependence for a long time.
Dr. Kieffer also studies how her findings in animals can help humans. ..... This suggests a link between these receptors and feelings of sadness.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Kieffer has received many important awards for her work. In 2004, she won the Richard Lounsberry Prize. This award came from the French Académie des Sciences. In 2012, she won the Lamonica Prize for Neurology from the same academy.
At the end of 2013, she became a member of the French Academy of Sciences. This is a very high honor for a scientist in France. On March 19, 2014, she received the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award. She received this award in Paris, France. ..... This award celebrates the amazing achievements of women scientists around the world. Brigitte Kieffer was chosen as the winner for Europe.
See also
In Spanish: Brigitte Kieffer para niños
