Mary Hatten facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary E. Hatten
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Mary Elizabeth Hatten
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| Alma mater | Princeton University (PhD) Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (faculty) |
| Awards | Member of the National Academy of Sciences (2017) |
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| Institutions | Rockefeller University |
| Thesis | The influence of membrane lipids on the lectin-induced agglutination of transformed and untransformed cell lines (1975) |
Mary Elizabeth Hatten is a famous scientist who studies the brain. She is a professor of neuroscience at Rockefeller University. In 1992, she became the first woman to be a full professor there.
Dr. Hatten researches how brain cells, called neurons, move around in the brain. This work helps us understand many brain diseases and even cancer. Because of her important discoveries, she was chosen to join the National Academy of Sciences in 2017.
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Early Life and Education
Mary E. Hatten was born in Richmond, Virginia. She grew up in Newport News, Virginia. Her father was a doctor who helped deliver babies.
When she was in high school and college, Mary worked at the nearby NASA Langley Research Center. This was a great way for her to get involved in science early on.
College and PhD Studies
In 1971, she earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry. She graduated from Hollins College, which was a women's college.
Later, in 1975, she earned her PhD from Princeton University. For her PhD, she studied how cell membranes work. She even followed her professor, Max Burger, to Switzerland to finish her degree.
Career and Brain Research
After getting her PhD, Dr. Hatten did more research. From 1975 to 1978, she worked at Harvard Medical School. There, she studied how neurons move in a developing brain.
She then became a professor at the New York University School of Medicine. She taught there from 1978 to 1986. After that, she moved to Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She was a professor there until 1992.
First Female Professor at Rockefeller
In 1992, Dr. Hatten made history. She became the first female full professor at Rockefeller University. This was a big step for women in science.
How Brain Cells Develop
Dr. Hatten's main research focuses on how the brain develops. She uses mouse brains to study this. She looks at how brain cells, called neurons, move and become different types of cells. This process is very important for building a healthy brain.
Her research helps us understand many brain conditions. These include brain diseases that run in families. It also helps with conditions like autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and attention deficit disorder (ADD). Her work is also important for understanding childhood epilepsy. It even helps with a type of brain cancer called medulloblastoma.
Discovering Important Proteins
Dr. Hatten's lab has been a leader in studying special proteins. These proteins are called receptor proteins. Her team also pioneered the use of video imaging to watch brain cells.
She discovered a protein called astrotactin (ASTN1). This protein is very important for guiding neurons as they move. In 2018, Dr. Hatten and her team studied another protein, ASTN2. They found that ASTN2 helps move other proteins away from the neuron's surface. This happens at the right time.
The researchers also suggested that problems with ASTN2 could lead to brain development issues. These issues might include ASDs and intellectual disabilities.
Sharing Knowledge
In 2024, Dr. Hatten became a co-editor for the Annual Review of Neuroscience. This is a well-known science journal.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Hatten has received many awards for her important work:
- 1988 Pew Neuroscience Award
- 1991 National Science Foundation Faculty Award for Women Scientists
- 1996 Weil Award of the American Association of Neuropathologists
- 2017 Ralph W. Gerard Prize in Neuroscience
- 2017 Elected Member of the National Academy of Sciences
- 2021 Elected Member of National Academy of Medicine
Selected Publications
Here are some of Dr. Hatten's important research papers:
- Hatten, M.E. (1985). Neuronal regulation of astroglial morphology and proliferation in vitro. Journal of Cell Biology 100(2), 384-396.
- Hatten, M.E. (1999). Central nervous system neuronal migration. Annual Review of Neuroscience 22, 511-539.
- Shiaoching, G., Doughty, M., Harbaugh, C.R., Cummins, A., Hatten, M.E., Heintz, N., Gerfen, C.R. (2007). Targeting Cre Recombinase to Specific Neuron Populations with Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Constructs. Journal of Neuroscience 27(37), 9817-9823. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2707-07.2007
