Topics in endocrinology

Henry Markram started a dual scientific and medical career at the University of Cape Town, in South Africa. His scientific work in the 80’s revealed the polymodal receptive fields of pontomedullary reticular formation neurons in vivo and how acetylcholine re-organized these sensory maps. He moved to Israel in 1988 and obtained his PhD at the Weizmann Institute where he discovered a link between acetylcholine and memory mechanisms by being the first to show that acetylcholine modulates the NMDA receptor in vitro studies, and thereby gates which synapses can undergo synaptic plasticity. He was also the first to characterize the electrical and anatomical properties of the cholinergic neurons in the medial septum diagonal band. He carried out a first postdoctoral study as a Fulbright Scholar at the NIH, on the biophysics of ion channels on synaptic vesicles using sub-fractionation methods to isolate synaptic vesicles and patch-clamp recordings to characterize the ion channels. He carried out a second postdoctoral study at the Max Planck Institute, as a Minerva Fellow, where he discovered that individual action potentials propagating back into dendrites also cause pulsed influx of Ca2 into the dendrites and found that sub-threshold activity could also activated a low threshold Ca2 channel. He developed a model to show how different types of electrical activities can divert Ca2 to activate different intracellular targets depending on the speed of Ca2 influx – an insight that helps explain how Ca2 acts as a universal second messenger. His most well known discovery is that of the millisecond watershed to judge the relevance of communication between neurons marked by the back-propagating action potential. This phenomenon is now called Spike Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP), which many laboratories around the world have subsequently found in multiple brain regions and many theoreticians have incorporated as a learning rule. At the Max-Planck he also started exploring the micro-anatomical and physiological principles of the different neurons of the neocortex and of the mono-synaptic connections that they form - the first step towards a systematic reverse engineering of the neocortical microcircuitry to derive the blue prints of the cortical column in a manner that would allow computer model reconstruction. He received a tenure track position at the Weizmann Institute where he continued the reverse engineering studies and also discovered a number of core principles of the structural and functional organization such as differential signaling onto different neurons, models of dynamic synapses with Misha Tsodyks, the computational functions of dynamic synapses, and how GABAergic neurons map onto interneurons and pyramidal neurons. A major contribution during this period was his discovery of Redistribution of Synaptic Efficacy (RSE), where he showed that co-activation of neurons does not only alter synaptic strength, but also the dynamics of transmission. At the Weizmann, he also found the “tabula rasa principle” which governs the random structural connectivity between pyramidal neurons and a non-random functional connectivity due to target selection. Markram also developed a novel computation framework with Wolfgang Maass to account for the impact of multiple time constants in neurons and synapses on information processing called liquid computing or high entropy computing. In 2002, he was appointed Full professor at the EPFL where he founded and directed the Brain Mind Institute. During this time Markram continued his reverse engineering approaches and developed a series of new technologies to allow large-scale multi-neuron patch-clamp studies. Markram’s lab discovered a novel microcircuit plasticity phenomenon where connections are formed and eliminated in a Darwinian manner as apposed to where synapses are strengthening or weakened as found for LTP. This was the first demonstration that neural circuits are constantly being re-wired and excitation can boost the rate of re-wiring. At the EPFL he also completed the much of the reverse engineering studies on the neocortical microcircuitry, revealing deeper insight into the circuit design and built databases of the “blue-print” of the cortical column. In 2005 he used these databases to launched the Blue Brain Project. The BBP used IBM’s most advanced supercomputers to reconstruct a detailed computer model of the neocortical column composed of 10’000 neurons, more than 340 different types of neurons distributed according to a layer-based recipe of composition and interconnected with 30 million synapses (6 different types) according to synaptic mapping recipes. The Blue Brain team built dozens of applications that now allow automated reconstruction, simulation, visualization, analysis and calibration of detailed microcircuits. This Proof of Concept completed, Markram’s lab has now set the agenda towards whole brain and molecular modeling. With an in depth understanding of the neocortical microcircuit, Markram set a path to determine how the neocortex changes in Autism. He found hyper-reactivity due to hyper-connectivity in the circuitry and hyper-plasticity due to hyper-NMDA expression. Similar findings in the Amygdala together with behavioral evidence that the animal model of autism expressed hyper-fear led to the novel theory of Autism called the “Intense World Syndrome” proposed by Henry and Kamila Markram. The Intense World Syndrome claims that the brain of an Autist is hyper-sensitive and hyper-plastic which renders the world painfully intense and the brain overly autonomous. The theory is acquiring rapid recognition and many new studies have extended the findings to other brain regions and to other models of autism. Markram aims to eventually build detailed computer models of brains of mammals to pioneer simulation-based research in the neuroscience which could serve to aggregate, integrate, unify and validate our knowledge of the brain and to use such a facility as a new tool to explore the emergence of intelligence and higher cognitive functions in the brain, and explore hypotheses of diseases as well as treatments.

URS VON GUNTEN born in Baden (Switzerland) on 20/10/1959 RESEARCH INTERESTS Drinking water quality and water treatment. Unit processes and process combinations (adsorption processes, membrane processes, oxidation processes). Chemical oxidation and advanced oxidation processes: kinetics and mechanisms of formation of disinfection by-products and degradation of micropollutants. Assessment of toxicology of of transformation products. Biogeochemical processes in riverbank filtration systems. In situ and out-of-ground treatment of groundwaters EDUCATION Diploma Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Department of Chemistry,Switzerland, 1983 Ph.D.Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Switzerland, 1989. AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS 2018 Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher 2015 Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher 2015 Recipient of the Harvey Rosen Award 2015 of the International Ozone Association 2015 Professorship under the Chinese Academy of Sciences President’s International Fellowship Initiative for Distinguished Scientists 2014 Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher 2013 Distinguished Lecturer for AEESP at the American Water Works Association Annual Conference, Denver, June 10, 2013 2012-to date Adjunct Professor at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Korea 2011 Full Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (EPFL) 2010 Adjunct Professor at the State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences 2010 Adjunct Professor at the Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia 2007 Honorary Professorship at the Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China 2007 Recipient of the Harvey Rosen Award 2007 of the International Ozone Association 2007 Environmental Science and Technology Excellence in Review Award 2006 Professor title at ETHZ, Department of Environmental Sciences 2001 Recipient of the Harvey Rosen Award 2001 of the International Ozone Association 1999 Recipient of the Marteen Schalekamp Award 1999 of the IWSA 1993 Recipient of a short-term fellowship of the Swiss National Science Foundation in 1993 and 1994 1993 EERO short-term fellowship-holder PROFESSIONAL RECORD 2013-2016 Head of transdisciplinary project “Regional Water Supply Basel Country 21”, Eawag 2010-2017 Head of Competence Center for Drinking Water, Eawag 2008/2009 Visiting Professor at the Curtin Water Quality Research Centre, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia 2004-to date Deputy head of department ”Water Resources and Drinking Water”, Eawag 2004-2008 Head of the cross-cutting project “Drinking water for the 21st century”, Eawag 2000 – 2004 Head of department ”Water Resources and Drinking Water”, Eawag 2000/2001 Sabbatical at University of Colorado, Boulder 1998 - 1999 Head of department of Chemistry, Eawag 1995 - 2011 Lecturer at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Switzerland. 1995- to date Group leader of the drinking water group of the chemistry department at Eawag 1994/93 Visiting Scientist at the International Research Center for Water and Environment of Lyonnaise des Eaux (8 months), CIRSEE, Le Pecq, France since 1992 Research Scientist at Eawag 1989 - 1991 Postdoctoral Researcher at Eawag 1984 - 1989 Research Assistant, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich EDITORIAL ACTIVITIES Associate Editor “Environmental Science and Technology” (2010/2011) Guest Editor “Water Research” for special issue on “Emerging Contaminants” (2010) Guest Editor „Journal of water supply: Research and Technology-Aqua“ for a special issue on “Oxidation Processes” (2008) Member of the editorial board of the journal ”Ozone: Science and Engineering”. Member of the editorial board of „Journal of water supply: Research and Technology-Aqua“. FORMER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES 2016 Co-organizer of PEAK seminar ”Neue Herausforderungen und Lösungsansätze in der Wasserversorgung – Fallbeispiele aus dem Kanton BL”. Dübendorf, November 11, 2016 2015 Organizer of PEAK seminar “Micropollutants in drinking water”, Dübendorf, October 30 2014 Co-organizer of the Eawag Infotag “Wasserversorgung und Uferfiltration – ein System unter Druck?” Dübendorf, September 9, 2014 2014 Co-organizer of a Symposium “Advanced oxidation processes for water treatment” 5th EuCheMS Chemistry Congress 2014, Aug. 31 – Sept. 4, Istanbul, Turkey, 2014 2013 Co-Organizer of PEAK seminar on “Oxidation and Disinfection Processes”, Aug. 30, Dübendorf 2013 Co-Organizer of the Micropoll & Ecohazard Conference, Zürich, June 17-19, 2013 2013 Co-Organizer of the session “Advanced Oxidation – Technologies and Applications, Leading Edge Technology (LET) Conference, Bordeaux, June 2-6, 2013 2011 Co-Organizer of Korean-Swiss Science Days in Zürich “Water for the Future”, ETHZ, November 9-10, 2011. 2010 Co-Organizer of an international symposium “Oxidation processes in natural and technical aquatic systems” in honour of Jürg Hoigné’s 80 birthday, Eawag, May 21, 2010. 2010 Co-Organizer of 23. Mülheimer Wassertechnisches Seminar “Möglichkeiten und Grenzen von oxidativen Prozessen in der Wasserreinhaltung”, March 11, 2010, IWW, Mülheim an der Ruhr 2008 Co-Organizer of the Eawag Infotag 2008 “Vom Gewässer ins Glas”, Sept. 12, 2008, Eawag, Dübendorf 2008 Organizing committee of Leading Edge Technology Conference (LET), Zürich, June 1-4, 2008. 2008 Co-organizer of Sino-Swiss workshop “Water Resources Management and Drinking Water Quality”, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China, January, 2008 2007 Organizer of Wave21 seminar on “New insights in the field of drinking water treatment”, Dübendorf, Sept. 14, 2007. 2007 Co-organizer of a symposium entitled “Sustainability in Water Supply: Advances in Oxidation Processes for Water Treatment” at ACS Spring conference, Chicago, March 25-29, 2007. 2006 Organizer of Wave21 seminar on “New developments of analytical methods for drinking water analysis”, Dübendorf, Sept. 15, 2006, 2005 Organizer of Wave21 seminar on “New applications of ozone in water treatment”, Sept. 23, 2005, Dübendorf 1999 Co-organizer of 200th Anniversary Symposium in honor of Ch. F. Schönbein - the discoverer of ozone, October 1999, Basel. 1995 Organizer of a symposium in honor of J. Hoigné, June, 1995, Dübendorf, Switzerland 1991 Co-organizer of the workshop "Chemodynamics of Groundwaters", November, 1991, Mont Sainte-Odile, France

A participé aux ouvrages suivants: -Caractérisation expérimentale des matériaux. Analyse par rayons X, électrons et neutrons. J.L. Martin, A. George. PPUR 1998. -Dislocations et plasticité des cristaux. J.L. Martin. PPUR 2000. -Thermally activated mechanisms in crystal plasticity, D. Caillard, J.L. Martin. Pergamon, 2003. A été chairman de l'International Conference on the Strength of Materials (ICSMA) A reçu "The Ernst Mach Honorary Medal for Merit in the Physical Sciences" de l'Académie des Sciences Tchèques, le 18.1.2018.