Jacques Glowinski facts for kids

Jacques Glowinski (born August 30, 1936 – died November 5, 2020) was an important French pharmacist and biology researcher. He was a pioneer in neurobiology and neuropharmacology in France. He taught at the Collège de France and was also its leader. He was a member of the French Academy of Sciences.

Early Life and Research

Jacques Glowinski was born in Paris, France. He began his research journey in 1960. He worked at the Marey Institute and the Radioactive Isotopes Laboratory. Here, he created radioactive dopamine.

His early studies focused on how dopamine and norepinephrine work in the brain. These are important chemicals that help our brains function. His work was very significant for understanding the brain.

Work in the United States

From 1963 to 1966, Glowinski was invited to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. He joined Julius Axelrod's team. Axelrod later won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1972.

During this time, Glowinski worked with other famous scientists. He published many articles about brain chemicals called catecholamines. He also helped show how certain medicines, like antidepressants, work in the brain.

Building a Research Group

When he returned to France, Jacques Glowinski became a researcher at Inserm. This is a French organization for health and medical research. He started a small research group at the Collège de France.

His group grew quickly and worked well with the pharmaceutical industry. Later, Glowinski became the Chair of Neuropharmacology at the Collège de France in 1981. His laboratory trained many new researchers. Many of them went on to start their own labs around the world.

Jacques Glowinski passed away on November 5, 2020, at the age of 84.

Contributions Beyond Science

Jacques Glowinski was also interested in how science is organized and managed. He had good organizational skills. He also liked architecture and city planning.

In 1991, he became Vice-President of the Collège de France's Assembly of Professors. His colleagues then asked him to lead a big project. This project was about renovating the Collège de France buildings. This important task continued when he was the Director from 2000 to 2006. The renovation was finished in 2013.

Later, he helped plan the Plateau de Saclay campus. This is a large area for universities and research centers near Paris. He worked on this project from 2009 to 2010.

Awards and Honors

Jacques Glowinski and his team received many awards for their work. These include:

• The Richard Lounsbery Prize for Biology and Medicine (1986)
• The Grand Prize of the Foundation for Medical Research (2002)
• The Inserm Honorary Prize (2005)
• The European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Lifetime Award (2008)

He was also a member of important national committees. He was President of the Society of Neurosciences from 1995 to 1999. He also helped start and lead the Scientific Council of the Brain Research Federation.

• He became a full member of the French Academy of Sciences in 1992.
• He was made a Doctor Honoris Causa of HEC (a famous business school).
• He was appointed to the editorial committee of the magazine Le Grand Paris in 2011.
• He became President of the Scientific Council of the Val de Seine School of Architecture in 2011.
• In 2016, Jacques Glowinski wrote a book about his career. It was called "Le Cerveau Architecte" (The Architect Brain).
• He was honored as a Commandeur of the Légion d'Honneur and a Commandeur of the Ordre National du Mérite. These are very high honors in France.