Mohamed Taha Moutaoufik | Neurodegenerative Diseases | Best Research Article Award

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Prof. Mohamed Taha Moutaoufik | Neurodegenerative Diseases | Best Research Article Award

Mohammed VI Polytechnic University | Morocco

Dr. Mohamed Taha Moutaoufik is an accomplished Moroccan molecular biologist and Assistant Professor at the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic, with a strong foundation in cell and molecular biology acquired through advanced studies at Université Laval and Université Ibn Zohr. His professional experience spans roles as a Research Associate and Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Regina in Canada, where he contributed to cutting-edge research on protein interactions, mitochondrial biology, and neurodegenerative disease mechanisms. His scholarly involvement includes memberships in prestigious societies such as the Human Proteome Organization and the Mediterranean Neuroscience Society. Dr. Moutaoufik’s research interests center on proteomics, neurodegeneration, mitochondrial interactomes, and molecular mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. He demonstrates expertise in multi-omics data integration, bioinformatics, protein-protein interaction mapping, and advanced molecular techniques. As an editor for Frontiers in Chemistry and related journals, he has overseen significant contributions to molecular biosciences. His numerous awards, including fellowships from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Parkinson Canada, reflect his research excellence and leadership in biomedical science. Overall, Dr. Moutaoufik exemplifies a dynamic researcher whose interdisciplinary work bridges molecular biology and neuroproteomics, advancing scientific understanding of cellular mechanisms and their implications for precision medicine.

Profile: ORCID

Featured Publications

Alina Diana Zamfir | Brain Science | Best Researcher Award

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Prof. Dr. Alina Diana Zamfir | Brain Science | Best Researcher Award

National Institute for R&D in Electrochemistry and Condensed Matter | Romania

Dr. Alina Diana Zamfir is a distinguished Romanian physicist and professor known for her pioneering research in biophysics, mass spectrometry, and biomolecular analysis. She earned her academic degrees in physics from leading Romanian universities, including a Ph.D. in Physics and two habilitations in Biophysics and Physics from prestigious institutions in Romania and Germany. Currently serving as a Senior Scientific Researcher at the National Institute for Research and Development in Electrochemistry and Condensed Matter and as a Professor at Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, she also mentors doctoral candidates at the West University of Timisoara. Her professional journey includes research and teaching appointments in Germany and collaborations with international universities and corporations. Dr. Zamfir’s research interests focus on mass spectrometry-based proteomics, glycomics, and microfluidics for the analysis of complex biological systems. She is highly skilled in advanced spectrometric analysis, microfluidic platform development, and molecular characterization of biomolecules. A recipient of numerous awards, including the Romanian Academy Prize, the Elsevier Top Cited Article Award, and the Wiley Award, she is also President of the Romanian Society for Mass Spectrometry. Her extensive contributions to molecular biophysics and analytical chemistry continue to advance biomedical innovation and interdisciplinary scientific excellence worldwide.

Profile: Google scholar

Featured Publications

Natalia N. Kudryavtseva | Neurobiology | Best Researcher Award

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Prof. Dr. Natalia N. Kudryavtseva | Neurobiology | Best Researcher Award

Institute of Cytology and Genetics of SB RAS | Russia

Professor Natalia N. Kudryavtseva is a highly distinguished neuroscientist and leading researcher at the I.P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology RAS in Saint Petersburg and the Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS in Novosibirsk, with extensive academic and research contributions in behavioral pharmacology, neurogenetics, and biological psychiatry. She completed her education at Novosibirsk State University in physiology and advanced to hold key positions as junior, senior, and leading researcher, later becoming head of the Neurogenetics of Social Behaviour Sector and the Neuropathology Modelling Laboratory. Her professional journey includes visiting research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the United States, along with teaching as professor of physiology at Novosibirsk State University. Her research interests span behavioral genetics, social biology, psychopharmacology, transcriptomic analysis, and modelling of psychoemotional disorders, particularly through the sensory contact model she developed, widely applied in the study of chronic social conflict and neuropsychiatric mechanisms. She is skilled in neurogenomics, experimental neurobiology, and psychopharmacological correction, with more than one hundred eighty publications and several books. She is an active member of international research societies and has collaborated with institutions across Europe and the USA. Recognized for her pioneering contributions, with a citation index exceeding four thousand and an h-index of thirty-seven, she has received numerous honors for advancing knowledge on the neurobiology of aggression and psychoemotional disorders, making her a truly deserving candidate for international recognition.

Profile: ORCID

Featured Publications

Victor Grillo Sobrinho | Emotion and Cognition | Best Researcher Award

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Ms. Victor Grillo Sobrinho | Emotion and Cognition | Best Researcher Award

 State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, CEP 20550-900 |  Brazil

Victor Grillo Sobrinho is a dedicated professional in the field of physical education and exercise sciences, with expertise in exercise physiology, resistance training, and electrostimulation. He has built his academic and professional career with a strong commitment to promoting health, performance, and well-being across different populations, particularly older adults. His work integrates both practical teaching in schools and specialized training in fitness institutions, reflecting a balance between pedagogy and applied sports science. Victor has served as a professor of physical education at Colégio Oliveira Mallet, where he has contributed to youth development in physical fitness and sports. In addition, he has gained extensive experience in electrostimulation training at Eletro Treino, working with advanced methods to enhance muscular strength and functionality. His academic involvement includes participation in research groups focusing on exercise, aging, and affectivity, consolidating his role as a professional bridging education, research, and practice.

Profile

ORCID

Education

Victor Grillo Sobrinho’s academic journey began with undergraduate studies in physical education at Centro Universitário Augusto Motta, where he earned both his licentiate and bachelor’s degrees. His early academic focus explored strength gains through electrostimulation training, guided by Dr. Francisco Navarro. To deepen his expertise, he pursued postgraduate specialization in exercise physiology and training prescription at Universidade Estácio, producing a systematic review on electrostimulation for strength development. Expanding his scope, he completed a specialization in physical training for older adults at Faculdade de Minas, with research on affective perception in resistance training among the elderly. His commitment to advancing scientific knowledge led him to pursue a master’s degree in Exercise and Sport Sciences at Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro. His dissertation focused on validating psychometric scales such as the Feeling Scale and Felt Arousal Scale for older populations, underlining his dedication to research in aging, exercise, and well-being

Experience

Victor Grillo Sobrinho has extensive teaching and professional experience across academic and fitness environments. He began his career as a physical education teacher at Colégio Oliveira Mallet, where he has been responsible for instructing middle and high school students, fostering a culture of health and movement. His passion for advanced training methodologies is evident in his role at Eletro Treino, where he serves as a specialist in electrostimulation-based fitness programs, utilizing MIHA technology to improve muscular performance. Additionally, he has worked at renowned fitness centers, including Bodytech and Wellness Fit Club, delivering functional training, resistance exercise, and muscle conditioning to diverse populations. His teaching philosophy combines scientific knowledge with practical strategies to enhance performance and health outcomes. Victor’s professional trajectory reflects his ability to engage with different audiences, from young learners to elderly individuals, while actively participating in research groups focused on training and aging.

Awards and Honors

Throughout his career, Victor Grillo Sobrinho has been recognized for his contributions to exercise science and education. His participation in academic events and congresses highlights his role as both a researcher and practitioner committed to advancing knowledge in physical education and sports sciences. At the VI Congresso Internacional de Educação Física e Desporto, he presented research on the reliability of the Feeling Scale and Felt Arousal Scale in elderly populations, gaining recognition for his innovative work in psychometric evaluation in exercise contexts. Similarly, at the X Congresso Brasileiro de Metabolismo, Nutrição e Exercício, his presentation on validating affective and arousal scales among older adults demonstrated his commitment to bridging exercise science with applied gerontology. His academic achievements, including completing advanced postgraduate training and securing a master’s degree with a relevant dissertation in the field, further mark his distinction. These accomplishments reflect his dedication to improving physical training and well-being.

Research Focus

Victor Grillo Sobrinho’s research primarily focuses on the intersection of exercise, aging, and affectivity. He investigates how different training methodologies, particularly resistance training and electrostimulation, influence physical performance, strength, and emotional responses among older adults. His work explores psychophysiological aspects of exercise, emphasizing the validation of affective scales such as the Feeling Scale and Felt Arousal Scale to better understand the psychological dimensions of physical training. By integrating physiological outcomes with subjective well-being, Victor aims to optimize training prescriptions for elderly populations, ensuring both health benefits and motivational adherence. His broader interests include exercise physiology, functional training, and innovative approaches such as electrostimulation to enhance muscular performance. Participation in research groups like GEESI strengthens his role in collaborative projects addressing geriatric exercise science. His academic and applied focus demonstrates a commitment to promoting healthy aging through scientifically informed, personalized training interventions

Conclusion

ictor Grillo Sobrinho stands as a committed educator, researcher, and practitioner in exercise sciences, blending academic rigor with professional expertise, advancing the fields of physiology, electrostimulation, and geriatric fitness, while fostering healthier lifestyles through evidence-based practices

Cheng Cheng | Emotion and Cognition | Best Researcher Award

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Assist. Prof. Dr. Cheng Cheng | Emotion and Cognition | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Cheng Cheng is a lecturer at the Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience Research Center, Liaoning Normal University, with a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Dalian University of Technology (2024). Her interdisciplinary expertise lies in affective computing, neural signal processing, and mental health assessment using EEG data. She leads research integrating spatiotemporal and multimodal analysis for emotion recognition and depression detection. Dr. Cheng is recognized for proposing the SASD-MCL model to enhance EEG-based emotion recognition in scenarios with limited annotations. Her publications appear in reputed journals in machine learning and neuroscience. As a committed educator and lab leader, she mentors students, oversees collaborative projects, and contributes to knowledge dissemination across AI and cognitive science domains. She actively participates in academic forums and maintains professional memberships in cognitive computing and brain research societies. Dr. Cheng’s work stands at the intersection of artificial intelligence and human emotion, contributing to advancements in mental health technologies.

Profile

🎓 Education

Dr. Cheng Cheng received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from Dalian University of Technology in 2024, where her dissertation focused on EEG-based affective computing and mental health applications. During her doctoral studies, she specialized in deep learning, neural signal processing, and cross-domain adaptation models. Her academic training included a rigorous foundation in artificial intelligence, biomedical data analysis, and advanced computational neuroscience. Prior to her Ph.D., she completed her undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Computer Science with distinction, building a strong base in algorithm development and machine learning. Her education journey combined theoretical learning with practical projects and industry collaborations, preparing her for cross-disciplinary research in cognitive science. Through coursework, research assistantships, and conference participations, she gained expertise in cutting-edge neural decoding techniques, emotion modeling, and multimodal data fusion. Dr. Cheng continues to apply her educational background to develop innovative models that bridge brain signal processing and artificial intelligence.

🧪 Experience

Dr. Cheng Cheng is currently serving as a lecturer at the Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience Research Center, Liaoning Normal University, where she also leads a neuroscience and AI-integrated research lab. She has experience supervising postgraduate students, conducting collaborative research, and publishing peer-reviewed work in SCI-indexed journals. Her professional journey includes the development of the SASD-MCL framework for EEG-based emotion recognition and participation in multi-domain research initiatives aimed at improving mental health diagnostics. As a lab leader, she promotes interdisciplinary cooperation between neuroscientists and machine learning experts. Dr. Cheng has participated in national and university-funded research projects and regularly presents at conferences focused on cognitive computing and brain signal interpretation. Her previous roles include research assistantships during her doctoral program, where she refined her expertise in neural signal processing and cross-subject learning models. With a deep interest in innovation, she continues to enhance the accuracy and generalizability of emotion detection systems.

🏅 Awards and Honors

Dr. Cheng Cheng has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to affective computing and brain–AI interfacing. Her model SASD-MCL received academic commendation for significantly improving cross-subject EEG-based emotion recognition, achieving a 5.93% and 5.32% accuracy gain on SEED and SEED-IV datasets, respectively. She has received “Best Paper Presentation” at the International Conference on Cognitive Computing and Neural Interfaces and was awarded a Research Excellence Scholarship during her Ph.D. tenure. Her collaborative work on mental health diagnostics has been featured in top-tier journals, earning her invitations to join editorial boards and review panels. She is an active member of IEEE, the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence, and other neuroscience societies. Her leadership in mentoring young researchers and spearheading interdisciplinary projects has also been acknowledged by her institution. Nominated for the “Best Researcher Award,” Dr. Cheng continues to set benchmarks in neural data modeling, emotion AI, and computational mental health technologies.

🔬 Research Focus

Dr. Cheng Cheng’s primary research focus lies in affective computing, neural signal processing, and mental health assessment using EEG data. She integrates deep learning techniques with brain-computer interface (BCI) methodologies to improve the reliability and scalability of emotion recognition systems. Her SASD-MCL model, based on semi-supervised alignment and contrastive learning, addresses key challenges in cross-subject variability and label scarcity. By leveraging spatiotemporal features and multimodal EEG representations, she advances personalized and generalizable emotion detection systems. Her work also explores multi-domain adaptation and knowledge transfer in biomedical signal classification, enhancing robustness under limited supervision. Dr. Cheng’s research bridges neuroscience and artificial intelligence, contributing to innovations in automated mental health screening tools. She is currently involved in projects involving real-time emotion feedback and cognitive state monitoring using portable EEG devices. Her scientific vision aims to foster machine empathy through intelligent systems capable of understanding and responding to human emotions with clinical and social applications.

✅ Conclusion

Dr. Cheng Cheng exemplifies excellence in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence. Her pioneering contributions to EEG-based emotion recognition and mental health assessment models offer robust, scalable solutions in affective computing. With a strong academic foundation, impactful innovations, and dedicated mentorship, she stands out as a deserving nominee for the Best Researcher Award.

Publications

Jolanta Dorszewska | Neurobiology | Women Researcher Award

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Dr. Jolanta Dorszewska | Neurobiology | Women Researcher Award

Professor Jolanta Dorszewska is a globally recognized neuroscientist and pharmacologist based at Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland 🧠🇵🇱. She leads the Laboratory of Neurobiology, exploring the molecular and genetic basis of neurodegenerative diseases 🧬. With over 35 years of academic experience, her work spans neurochemistry, clinical neurology, and genetic research in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease 🧪. A prolific author, she has contributed to 80+ research papers, 50+ reviews, and 30+ book chapters 📚. She serves on editorial boards of top neuroscience journals and holds leadership roles in national and international neurological societies 🌍.

Profile

Education 🎓

Prof. Dorszewska earned her M.Sc. in Pharmacy with distinction from Poznan University of Medical Sciences in 1987 🏅. She completed board certifications in Pharmaceutical Analytics (1990 & 1997) and received her Ph.D. in 1996 🧪. In 2004, she qualified as an Associate Professor and achieved full Professorship in 2016 🎓. Her academic growth includes training in medical genetics from 2012 to 2020 🧬. Her education reflects an evolving blend of pharmacy, neurobiology, and genetics, forming the foundation of her current research excellence 💡.

Experience 👨‍🏫

Prof. Dorszewska began as an Assistant in the Dept. of Pharmacy (1987-88), then in Clinical Neurochemistry (1988-96) at PUMS 👩‍🔬. She was a Research Scientist in New York (1999–2000) 🗽 and has led the Laboratory of Neurobiology since 2004 🧠. She became Full Professor in 2022 🏛️. She also lectured at the National High Medical School in Pila (2012–2018) 📖. Her career blends hands-on research, global collaboration, and dedicated academic leadership 📚. She continues to mentor, publish, and drive innovations in neurology and neurochemistry 🚀

Awards & Recognitions 🏅

Awards and Honors:
Prof. Dorszewska is a Local Honorary Member of the 12th World Congress on Controversies in Neurology (2018) 🌐. She has served as Guest Editor for 6 prestigious theme issues and holds editorial roles in top-tier journals like Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience and Current Alzheimer Research 📘. A section and associate editor for journals across the USA, UK, and Poland 🌍, she’s a key figure in scientific publishing 🖋️. She’s affiliated with the Polish Academy of Sciences and international neurological societies and has co-edited 5 books 📚.

Research Interests 🔬

Research Focus:
Her research spans lipid metabolism in hypoxia 🧫, cerebral sterols 🧠, neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine) 🧪, apoptosis in aging and disease (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s) 💔, and gene polymorphisms (MTHFR, MAO-B, PARK) 🧬. She investigates homocysteine metabolism, catecholamine pathways, and molecular changes in neurodegeneration 🧠. Since 2009, she’s focused on genetic mutations (PARK, APOE), biomarkers (ASN, microRNAs), and migraine genetics ⚙️. She uses advanced techniques like HPLC, PCR, ELISA, and immunohistochemistry 🔍. Her interdisciplinary work integrates neurobiology, pharmacogenomics, and molecular neuroscience in tackling brain diseases 🚀.

Publications 

  • Genetic variants of ZNF746 and the level of plasma Parkin, PINK1, and ZNF746 proteins in patients with Parkinson’s disease

    IBRO Neuroscience Reports
    2025-06 | Journal article
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2025.01.016
    CONTRIBUTORS: Jolanta Dorszewska; Jolanta Florczak-Wyspiańska; Bartosz Słowikowski; Wojciech Owecki; Oliwia Szymanowicz; Ulyana Goutor; Mateusz Dezor; Paweł P. Jagodziński; Wojciech Kozubski

  • Kinesiotherapeutic Possibilities and Molecular Parameters in Multiple Sclerosis

    Sclerosis
    2025-04-03 | Journal article
    DOI: 10.3390/sclerosis3020013
    CONTRIBUTORS: Katarzyna Wiszniewska; Małgorzata Wilk; Małgorzata Wiszniewska; Joanna Poszwa; Oliwia Szymanowicz; Wojciech Kozubski; Jolanta Dorszewsk

  • Unraveling the Role of Proteinopathies in Parasitic Infections

    Biomedicines
    2025-03-03 | Journal article
    DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines13030610
    CONTRIBUTORS: Mikołaj Hurła; Damian Pikor; Natalia Banaszek-Hurła; Alicja Drelichowska; Jolanta Dorszewska; Wojciech Kozubski; Elżbieta Kacprzak; Małgorzata Paul

  • Expression of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor and Early Oxidative DNA Damage in Aging Rat Brain—The Effects of Memantine

    International Journal of Molecular Sciences
    2025-02-14 | Journal article
    DOI: 10.3390/ijms26041634
    CONTRIBUTORS: Małgorzata Anna Lewandowska; Agata Różycka; Teresa Grzelak; Bartosz Kempisty; Paweł Piotr Jagodziński; Margarita Lianeri; Jolanta Dorszewska

Elsa Pittaras | Neuroscience | Women Researcher Award

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Dr. Elsa Pittaras | Neuroscience | Women Researcher Award

Elsa Pittaras is a Basic Life Research Scientist at Stanford University, specializing in neuroscience, cognition, and sleep research. With expertise in molecular biology, neuroanatomy, pharmacology, and behavior, she has extensively studied decision-making processes in mice. Her research has contributed significantly to understanding sleep deprivation’s effects on cognition and memory in Down Syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease models. She has published multiple papers as both first and last author, showcasing her leadership in neuroscience. Elsa’s goal is to advance research on mood disorders, cognition, and neurochemistry, aspiring to become an independent researcher in the U.S. 🇺🇸🔬🧠

Profile

Education 🎓

Elsa Pittaras earned a B.S. in Physiology from the University of Caen (2010), an M.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Paris Sud and ENS Cachan (2012), and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Neuro-PSI and the Biomedical Research Unit of the French Army (2016). Her multidisciplinary foundation in biology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics from Châtelet, Douai (2009) laid the groundwork for her neuroscience expertise. Throughout her education, she focused on decision-making, sleep deprivation, and neurochemical mechanisms in cognition. 🧠📚🎓

Experience 👨‍🏫

Elsa Pittaras has been a Basic Life Research Scientist at Stanford University since 2022, focusing on cognitive enhancement in Down Syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease models. She was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford (2017-2022), investigating sleep and circadian rhythms’ effects on memory. Previously, she conducted research at the Biomedical Research Unit of the French Army (2016-2017) and completed her Ph.D. at Neuro-PSI. Her career includes internships in neuroscience at Neuro-PSI (2011-2012) and clinical observations at CHU Caen (2010). 🏛️🧬🧪

Research Interests 🔬

Elsa’s research explores decision-making, memory, and sleep in neurodevelopmental disorders. She pioneered the Mouse Gambling Task, revealing individual decision-making strategies. Her Ph.D. identified neurochemical markers of decision-making behaviors and the effects of sleep deprivation. At Stanford, she investigates sleep’s impact on cognition in Down Syndrome and Alzheimer’s models, aiming to improve memory and sleep quality through pharmacological interventions. Her work bridges behavioral neuroscience with neurochemistry to enhance cognitive function. 🧠💡🛌

Awards & Recognitions 🏅

Elsa has received prestigious grants, including the Jerome Lejeune Research Grants (2019, 2020), the Fyssen Foundation Research Grant (2017), and travel awards for conferences such as T21RS (2021) and Advances in Sleep and Circadian Science (2019). She was also recognized by the French Society for Research and Sleep Medicine (2014) and received a European Neuroscience Federation travel award (2016). 🏅

Publications 

  • Selectively Blocking Small Conductance Ca2+-Activated K+ Channels Improves Cognition in Aged Mice.

  • Short-term γ-aminobutyric acid antagonist treatment improves long-term sleep quality, memory, and decision-making in a Down syndrome mouse model

  • Behavioral and Neuronal Characterizations, across Ages, of the TgSwDI Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease.

  • Inter-individual differences in cognitive tasks: focusing on the shaping of decision-making strategies

  • Handling, task complexity, time-of-day, and sleep deprivation as dynamic modulators of recognition memory in mice

  • Enhancing sleep after training improves memory in down syndrome model mice

 

said Pournaghash-tehrani | Neuroscience | Best Faculty Award

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Dr. said Pournaghash-tehrani | Neuroscience | Best Faculty Award

 

Profile

  • Googlescholar
  • Researchgate

Education

Said Pournaghash-Tehrani earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology in 1993 from The American University in Washington, D.C., where he also completed his Master of Arts in Psychology in 1990. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Distributive Science from the same institution, which he obtained in 1986. Fluent in English and German, he also has familiarity with French. He can be reached via email at spournaghash@yahoo.com or by telephone at 011-98-09122074388.

Work experience
  • Said Pournaghash-Tehrani has extensive academic and research experience in psychology. He served as a Research Associate in 2001 at the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. In 2002, he took a sabbatical as a researcher at the Department of Psychology, Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, focusing on cross-cultural studies related to Iranian attitudes towards the West. Since 2002, he has been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Tehran University, having previously held the same position at Azzahra University in Tehran from 1996 to 2001. Additionally, he was a member of the Scientific Council on Energy and Economic Studies at the Institute for International and Political Studies (IPIS) from 1998 to 2000, where he also worked as a political researcher. His early academic career included serving as a Teaching and Research Assistant at The American University’s Department of Psychology from 1987 to 1990, where he contributed to courses such as Introduction to Psychology, Neuroscience Seminar, Psychopharmacology, Neuropsychology, Biological Basis of Behavior, and Learning and Behavior.

Books

–Fundamentals of Clinical Psychopharmacology, (2007); Samt Publications
-Drugs and Behavior, (2004); Samt Publications.
-Physiological Psychology, Tehran University Publication.
-Intimacy; Alzahra University Publication.
-Theories of Addiction, Alzahra University Publication.

Conference Presentations

Said Pournaghash-Tehrani has contributed extensively to neuroscience and psychology research, presenting his findings at prestigious conferences such as the Society for Neuroscience and the Eastern Psychological Association. His work has focused on drug discrimination learning, conditioned taste aversion, and the effects of opioids and their antagonists. In 1987, he co-authored studies assessing the discriminative stimulus properties of naloxone and the failure of cholecystokinin to counteract morphine sulfate’s effects. His later research explored the antagonism of morphine stimuli, the role of buprenorphine in opiate-naive and dependent animals, and the impact of RO15-4513 on ethanol-induced taste aversion. He has collaborated with notable researchers, including A.L. Riley, contributing to investigations on diazepam exposure and behavioral toxicology. His presentations in New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Boston, and other major research venues highlight his significant role in advancing psychopharmacology and behavioral neuroscience.

Publication

Grit Hein | Social Neuroscience | Best Paper Award

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prof. Grit Hein | Social Neuroscience | Best Paper Award

 

Universität Würzburg, Germany

Profile

Education

She studied Psychology at Humboldt-University in Berlin, Germany, and City College in New York, USA, completing her diploma in 1999 with a grade of “very good.” She earned her doctorate in 2002 at the Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig and Humboldt-University in Berlin. Her academic and professional career progressed through various prestigious positions. In 2002, she began as a research associate at MRC Cambridge, UK, and the University Hospital Frankfurt/M. She then received a DFG-Research Stipend in 2006, conducting research at the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of Berkeley, USA. In 2008, she was awarded the Society-in-Science Stipend and became a Principal Investigator in an independent research project at the University of Zürich, Switzerland. She completed her habilitation and obtained her Venia Legendi in Psychology at Goethe-University Frankfurt/M. in 2014. She later served as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Bern, Switzerland, in 2015. In 2017, she was appointed as a Heisenberg Professor at JMU Würzburg, where she continued to advance her research. In 2021, she became a Professor of Translational Social Neuroscience at JMU Würzburg and a Steering Committee Member of the Research Training Group RTG 2660, working alongside Professor Dr. Matthias Gamer in Psychology.

Work experience

Since 2024, she has served as the President of the European Social and Affective Neuroscience Association (ESCAN) – Special Interest Group Social Neuroscience and as the spokesperson for the Neuroscience section at the Graduate School of Life Sciences (GSLS), JMU. Previously, from 2021 to 2024, she held the position of Vice President of ESCAN. Since 2022, she has been a board member of the China-Competence Center at JMU, and since 2021, she has been an Executive Board and Steering Committee Member of the Research Training Group RTG 2660. Her engagement in the research system extends further, as she has been a board member of ESCAN since 2019 and a member of the mentoring program for young female scientists at UKW, JMU. Additionally, she holds a double affiliation with both the Medical Faculty and the Faculty of Human Science at JMU. Since 2018, she has contributed as a panel member of the Hillary Green Research Fund at the University of Birmingham, a standing member of the dissertation committee at UKW, JMU, and a member of the Degree Subject Committee of the Elite Graduate Program in Translational Neuroscience at JMU. She has also supervised numerous early-career researchers, including Anne Saulin, who completed her PhD in 2023 with magna cum laude and is now a DFG postdoctoral fellow at the University of Birmingham, UK; Marthe Gründahl, who also earned her PhD in 2023 with magna cum laude and is now a consultant at Bain & Company; and Dorothee Bruch, who obtained her MD in 2022 with magna cum laude and is currently practicing as a gynecologist.

She has received several prestigious academic distinctions throughout her career. In 2023, she was honored with an award for her extraordinary contribution to teaching by the Medical Faculty and the President of JMU. In 2015, she was awarded the Heisenberg Fellowship by the German Research Foundation, recognizing her outstanding research achievements. Earlier in her career, she received the Branco-Weiss Fellowship from ETH Zürich in 2008 and the Emmy-Noether Fellowship from the German Research Foundation in 2005, both of which supported her innovative research endeavors.

Publication