Eric Manvers Shooter facts for kids

Eric Manvers Shooter (born April 18, 1924, in Nottinghamshire, England; died March 21, 2018) was an important English scientist. He was famous for studying how nerves grow and heal, especially focusing on something called nerve growth factor (NGF). From 1961, he worked at Stanford University School of Medicine. He even helped start and lead the Department of Neurobiology there from 1975 to 1987.

Eric Shooter's Amazing Journey

Eric Shooter went to the University of Cambridge in England. He earned his first degree in chemistry in 1945 and then his PhD in 1949. After a short time at the University of Wisconsin, he moved to Stanford University in 1961.

He quickly became a professor, first in genetics in 1963, and then in biochemistry in 1968. He led the school's program for students studying neurosciences from 1972 to 1982. From 1975 to 1987, he was the first leader of the Department of Neurobiology. In 1988, he helped start a company called Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, which makes medicines. He kept doing important research until he retired in 2004.

Discovering How Nerves Grow and Heal

Eric Shooter was well-known for his work on neurotrophins. These are special proteins that help nerve cells grow, develop, and stay alive. He spent three years closely studying a key neurotrophin called nerve growth factor (NGF). He looked at its structure and how it works.

He also studied a gene called PMP22 in mice. When this gene has problems, the protective covering around nerve cells, called the myelin sheath, can break down. This is similar to some human nerve diseases. His discoveries helped us understand how nerves can repair themselves. Later, his team found that another neurotrophin, called BDNF, helps form myelin.

Awards and Recognitions

Eric Shooter received two big international awards with another scientist, Hans Thoenen. These were the Ralph W. Gerard Prize in Neuroscience in 1995 and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Award for Distinguished Achievement in Neuroscience Research in 1997.

He was chosen to be a member of the Royal Society in 1988. This is a very old and respected group of scientists in the UK. He was also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in the United States. Even with all these personal awards, he was most proud of the success of his students and trainees.

Helping Others Learn

In 2014, Eric Shooter made a generous gift to Stanford University. This gift created the Shooter Family Professorship, which helps support a professor in neurobiology. Currently, Thomas Clandinin, who leads the neurobiology department, holds this special position.