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) |
| Scientific career | |
| 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 leading 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's research focuses on how neurons (brain cells) move and develop in the brain. This work is very important for understanding many brain diseases and even some types of cancer. Because of her amazing discoveries, she was chosen to be a member of 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 on research projects. She did this at the NASA Langley Research Center nearby.
She went to Hollins College, which was a college for women. She earned her bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1971. Later, in 1975, she earned her PhD from Princeton University. Her studies focused on how cell membranes work.
Career and Brain Research
After getting her PhD, Dr. Hatten continued her research. From 1975 to 1978, she studied how neurons move in the developing brain. She did this at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Hatten then became a professor. She taught at the New York University School of Medicine from 1978 to 1986. After that, she moved to Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She was a professor there until 1992.
In 1992, Dr. Hatten made history. She became the first female full professor at Rockefeller University.
How Brain Cells Move
Dr. Hatten's research looks at how the brain develops. She uses the brains of mice to understand how complex structures form. Her main focus is on how neurons move and become different types of cells. This process is called "neuron migration."
Her work helps us understand many brain conditions. These include autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and attention deficit disorder (ADD). It also helps with childhood epilepsy and a type of brain cancer called medulloblastoma.
Discoveries in the Lab
Dr. Hatten's lab has been a leader in studying special proteins called "receptor proteins." They also pioneered using video to watch brain cells.
She discovered a protein called astrotactin (ASTN1). This protein is very important for guiding neurons as they move along other brain cells. In 2018, Dr. Hatten and her team studied another protein, ASTN2. They found that ASTN2 helps move proteins away from the neuron's outer layer. This process is important for healthy brain development. Their research suggests that problems with ASTN2 might lead to conditions like ASDs.
Dr. Hatten also became a co-editor of the Annual Review of Neuroscience in 2024.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Mary E. Hatten has received many important awards for her 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
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Dr. Mary E. Hatten, a leading brain scientist.
