May-Britt Moser facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
May-Britt Moser
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Moser in 2014.
(Photographer: Henrik Fjørtoft / NTNU Communication Division) |
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May-Britt Andreassen
1963 (age 61–62) Fosnavåg, Norway
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| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Alma mater | University of Oslo |
| Known for | Grid cells, Neurons |
| Spouse(s) | Edvard Moser (1985–2016) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine (2011) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2014) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neuroscience, Psychology |
| Institutions | Norwegian University of Science and Technology University of Edinburgh |
| Doctoral advisor | Per Andersen |
| Doctoral students | Marianne Fyhn |
May-Britt Moser (born in 1963) is a Norwegian psychologist and neuroscientist. She is a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
In 2014, May-Britt Moser and her former husband, Edvard Moser, won half of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. They received this award for their amazing work on "grid cells" in the brain. These cells help us know where we are and how to find our way around, like a special GPS system in our minds.
Together with Edvard Moser, she created the Moser research environment at NTNU. This is a special place where scientists study the brain. Since 2012, she has also led the Centre for Neural Computation.
Moser first studied psychology at the University of Oslo. She earned her PhD in neurophysiology in 1995. In 1996, she became a professor at NTNU. By 2000, she was a full professor of neuroscience. Her research group became a special "centre of excellence" in 2002.
Contents
Early Life and Education
May-Britt Moser was born in 1963 in Fosnavåg, a small town in Norway. She was the youngest of five children. Her family had a small farm, but her father worked as a carpenter. This meant her mother mostly took care of the farm.
May-Britt called herself a "tom-boy." Her family did not have a lot of money, so she could not travel much in the summer. Instead, she spent her free time studying animals. This is where she found a big passion. Her mother told her fairytales and always told her to work hard. As a child, May-Britt wanted to be a doctor who traveled the world. She also thought about becoming a veterinarian because she loved animals so much.
She was not always the best student in elementary school. But with encouragement from her teachers, her talents grew. May-Britt was determined not to become a housewife, which was common for women at that time.
Moser went to the University of Oslo. There, she studied psychology, mathematics, and neurobiology. She chose this school because two of her sisters lived in Oslo. They gave her a place to stay. She liked the freedom of university life. However, she was not completely sure what she wanted to do with her degree. She was accepted into dentistry school but decided not to go.
May-Britt soon met Edvard I. Moser. She remembered him from her high school. They got married on July 27, 1985. They decided to study how the brain and behavior are connected. In June 1991, they had their first child, Isabel. It was hard to balance a PhD program with a baby. But their love for science kept them going. They even brought their daughter to the lab for long days. Their second child, Ailin, was born in 1995.
Later that year, May-Britt Moser earned her doctorate. Her work looked at how the brain's hippocampus helps rats understand space. May-Britt and Edvard then traveled to the University of Edinburgh. They worked with Richard Morris, another brain scientist. They also visited University College London to work with John O'Keefe. The couple later decided to work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. There, May-Britt became a professor of neuroscience. She also became the director of the University's Center for Neural Computation. May-Britt and Edvard divorced in 2016. However, they still continue their scientific work together.
Discoveries and Career Highlights
May-Britt Moser earned her psychology degree from the University of Oslo in 1990. She then became a research fellow. She received her PhD in Neurophysiology in 1995. She was 32 years old. After that, she and Edvard Moser did more training. They worked with Richard Morris in Edinburgh from 1994 to 1996. They also spent two months with John O'Keefe in London.
The Mosers came back to Norway in 1996. May-Britt became a professor at NTNU in Trondheim. She became a full professor of neuroscience in 2000. The couple helped start the Centre for the Biology of Memory (CBM) in 2002. They also started the Institute for Systems Neuroscience at NTNU in 2007. Moser is also the head of the NTNU Centre for Neural Computation.
The Mosers, along with their mentor John O'Keefe, were pioneers in studying how the brain understands space. They found special cells near the hippocampus. The hippocampus is a deep part of the brain important for memory and knowing where you are. The Mosers discovered "grid cells." These cells form a map in the brain that helps us navigate.
Moser's work helped scientists learn more about how our brains think. It also helped understand problems with space and memory. These problems are linked to brain conditions like Alzheimer's disease.
In 2013, May-Britt Moser received the Madame Beyer award. This award is for amazing female business leaders. She won it for her strong leadership and scientific achievements. It also recognized her focus on teamwork and community spirit.
In 2014, the Mosers shared half of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The other half went to John O'Keefe. The Mosers are one of only a few married couples to win a Nobel Prize.
May-Britt Moser helped create the Centre for the Biology of Memory. This center received funding from 2003 to 2012. She also became the director of the Centre for Neural Computation. This second center will continue its important work until 2022.
Awards and Recognition
May-Britt Moser has received many awards for her important work:
- 1999: Prize for young scientists from the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters
- 2005: 28th annual W. Alden Spencer Award
- 2006: 14th Betty and David Koetser Award for Brain Research
- 2006: 10th Prix "Liliane Bettencourt pour les Sciences du Vivant"
- 2008: 30th Eric K. Fernström’s Great Nordic Prize
- 2011: Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine
- 2011: Anders Jahre Award for Medical Research (with Edvard Moser)
- 2012: Perl-UNC Neuroscience Prize (with Edvard Moser)
- 2013: Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize (with Edvard Moser and John O'Keefe)
- 2014: Karl Spencer Lashley Award (with Edvard Moser)
- 2014: Körber European Science Prize
- 2014: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (with Edvard Moser and John O'Keefe)
- 2016: Erna Hamburger Prize
- 2018: Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav
Images for kids
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Moser in 2014.
See also
In Spanish: May-Britt Moser para niños
