BRAIN Initiative awardee and Multi-Council Working Group member, Dr. David Tank, alongside three collaborators, recently received the European Brain Research Foundation “Brain Prize” for his contributions toward the development of two-photon microscopy.
David Tank, Ph.D., was one of four scientists awarded the 2015 Grete Lundbeck European Brain Research Foundation “Brain Prize” in March. Dr. Tank and colleagues received this honor because they helped to advance the field of neuroscience by creating and implementing two-photon microscopy to generate “dynamic images of activity in individual nerve cells, dendrites, and synapses.” At Princeton University, Tank’s lab has made considerable strides in developing this technique and continues work to adapt it to study other aspects of neuroscience, such as calcium level dynamics in intact nerve circuits and changes during persistent neuronal activity. Dr. Tank shares this $1 million Euro prize with Drs. Karel Svoboda, Winfried Denk, and Arthur Konnerth, who round out the collaborative research group that includes European investigators, a requirement of the prize.
Two-photon microscopy has dramatically transformed brain research, allowing scientists to more precisely examine single neurons and neuronal signaling in discrete areas of the brain. Data produced by this novel methodology will enable investigators to learn more about neuronal codes and the intricacies of changing neuronal activity than ever before. Such insights could help unravel the mechanisms behind cognitive processes like decision-making.