Graham Collingridge facts for kids
Graham Leon Collingridge was born on February 1, 1955. He is a British neuroscientist, which means he studies the brain and nervous system. He works as a professor at the University of Toronto and the University of Bristol. He also does important research at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute in Toronto.
His main research is about how our brain cells communicate and change. This is called "synaptic plasticity." He tries to understand how these changes work when we are healthy. He also looks at how problems with these changes can cause brain diseases like Alzheimer's disease. He was one of the first UK scientists to win the Brain Prize, sharing it with Professors Tim Bliss and Richard Morris.
Early Life and Education
Graham Collingridge went to Enfield Grammar School. He studied pharmacology at the University of Bristol. Pharmacology is the study of how medicines affect the body. He then earned his PhD from the School of Pharmacy in London.
After his studies, he worked as a researcher in Canada and Australia. He worked at the University of British Columbia and the University of New South Wales.
Career and Research
In 1983, Dr. Collingridge became a lecturer at the University of Bristol. From 1990 to 1994, he led the pharmacology department at the University of Birmingham. He then returned to the University of Bristol. There, he became a professor of neuroscience.
He also directed the MRC Centre for Synaptic Plasticity for many years. This center studies how brain connections change. From 2015 to 2019, he led the Department of Physiology at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Collingridge has been a visiting professor in Canada and South Korea. He was also the main editor for a science journal called Neuropharmacology. He has been elected a fellow of important science groups. These include the Academy of Medical Sciences and The Royal Society.
He was also the president of the British Neuroscience Association. This group brings together scientists who study the brain. He is currently the president of the Canadian Physiological Society.
Today, he leads the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases. He also holds a special research position for Alzheimer's disease at the University of Toronto. He continues his research at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute. He also still works at the University of Bristol in the UK.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Collingridge has received many awards for his important work. These awards recognize his contributions to understanding the brain.
- 1992 Sharpey-Shafer Prize
- 1997 Founder Fellow, European DANA Alliance
- 1998 Founder Fellow, Academy of Medical Sciences
- 2001 Elected Fellow, The Royal Society
- 2003 Gaddam Memorial Prize
- 2007 President, British Neuroscience Association
- 2008 The Santiago Grisolia Prize
- 2013 The Feldberg Prize
- 2016 The Brain Prize, European Brain Research Foundation
In 2019, he was given the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This was for his services to biomedical sciences.
