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 famous Norwegian psychologist and neuroscientist. She is a professor of Psychology and Neuroscience 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 special cells in the brain. These cells, called grid cells, help us understand where we are and how to find our way around. It's like having a built-in GPS in our brains!
Together with Edvard Moser, she created the Moser research environment at NTNU. This is a special place where they lead important brain research. Since 2012, she has also been in charge of the Centre for Neural Computation.
May-Britt Moser studied psychology at the Department of Psychology, University of Oslo. She earned her PhD in neurophysiology (the study of how nerves work) from the Faculty of Medicine in 1995. In 1996, she became a professor at NTNU. By 2000, she was a full professor of neuroscience. In 2002, her research group became a special "centre of excellence" because of their important discoveries.
Early Life and Education
May-Britt Moser was born in 1963 in a small town called Fosnavåg, 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 loved animals when she was a child. She spent her free time studying them. Her mother always told her fairytales and encouraged her to work hard. As a child, May-Britt dreamed of becoming a doctor who traveled the world, or even a veterinarian. She wasn't always the best student in school, but with encouragement from her teachers, her talents grew. May-Britt was determined not to become a housewife, which was common at the time.
Moser went to the University of Oslo to study psychology, mathematics, and neurobiology. She chose this school because two of her sisters lived in Oslo and she could stay with them. She enjoyed the freedom of university life, but wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She even got into dentistry school but decided not to go.
She soon met Edvard I. Moser, who she knew from high school. They got married in 1985. They decided to study the connection between the brain and behavior together. In 1991, they had their first child, Isabel. It was hard to balance a PhD program with a baby, but their passion for science kept them going. They often brought their daughter to the lab. Their second child, Ailin, was born in 1995.
Later that year, May-Britt Moser earned her PhD. Her research looked at how the hippocampus (a part of the brain) helps rats understand space. After this, May-Britt and Edvard traveled to the University of Edinburgh to work with another neuroscientist, Richard Morris. They also visited University College London to work in John O'Keefe's lab.
Eventually, the couple decided to work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim. There, May-Britt became a professor of neuroscience. She also became the director of the university's Center for Neural Computation. In 2016, May-Britt and Edvard announced their divorce, but they still continue their scientific work together.
Career and Discoveries
May-Britt Moser received her psychology degree from the University of Oslo in 1990. She then became a research fellow and earned her PhD in Neurophysiology in 1995. She was 32 years old. After her PhD, she and Edvard Moser did more training with Richard Morris in Edinburgh and John O'Keefe in London.
In 1996, the Mosers returned to Norway. May-Britt became a professor at NTNU. By 2000, she was a full professor of neuroscience. They helped create the Centre for the Biology of Memory (CBM) in 2002 and the Institute for Systems Neuroscience in 2007. Moser is also the head of the NTNU Centre for Neural Computation. She is a member of several important science groups, like the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters.
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. This brain area is important for knowing where you are and for remembering events. Moser studied how the hippocampus's structure relates to how rats learn about their surroundings.
Their work helped scientists learn more about brain processes. It also helped understand problems with spatial awareness in conditions like Alzheimer's disease.
In 2013, May-Britt Moser received the Madame Beyer award. This award recognizes brilliant female business leaders. She won it for her strong leadership, scientific achievements, and teamwork.
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 six couples to ever win a Nobel Prize!
May-Britt Moser helped start the Centre for the Biology of Memory. She is also the director of the Centre for Neural Computation, which will run until 2022.
Honours and Awards
May-Britt Moser has received many awards for her important scientific 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
See also
