Leslie Iversen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leslie Iversen
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| Born |
Leslie Lars Iversen
31 October 1937 Exeter, England
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| Died | 30 July 2020 (aged 82) |
| Citizenship | United Kingdom |
| Spouse(s) | Susan Iversen (1961) |
| Awards | Ferrier Lecture |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Pharmacology |
| Institutions | |
Leslie Lars Iversen (31 October 1937 – 30 July 2020) was a famous British scientist. He was a pharmacologist, which means he studied how medicines and other chemicals affect our bodies. He was especially known for his work on how our brains send messages. This field is called neurochemistry, which is the study of the chemicals in our nervous system.
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Exploring the Brain's Chemistry
Leslie Iversen spent many years researching how our brain cells communicate. This process is called neurotransmission. Imagine your brain as a huge network of tiny wires. Neurotransmission is how electrical and chemical signals travel along these wires. His work helped us understand how these signals work and what happens when they don't work correctly.
His Important Roles
From 1971 to 1982, Iversen was the Director of the MRC Neurochemical Pharmacology Unit in Cambridge. This was a special research center.
Later, from 1982 to 1995, he became the Director of the Merck, Sharp & Dohme Neuroscience Research Centre. This center focused on brain research.
After that, in 1995, he became a Visiting Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Oxford. He shared his knowledge with students and other scientists there.
Awards and Special Honours
Leslie Iversen received many important awards for his scientific work.
Recognized by the Royal Society
In 1980, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honour for scientists in the United Kingdom. It means he was recognized as one of the best in his field. In 1983, he gave the Society's Ferrier Lecture, which is a special talk given by leading scientists.
Award from the Queen
In 2013, he was given the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This is a special award from the British monarch (the Queen at that time). He received it "for services to pharmacology," meaning for his great contributions to the study of medicines and their effects.
Leslie Iversen passed away on 30 July 2020. He was survived by his wife, Susan Iversen, whom he had been married to for over 60 years.
