Dr Limei Zhang
12 December 2023 - Limei Zhang, Full Professor of Physiology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico School of Medicine, has been honoured with the ALBA-Elsevier Award Lecture on Brain Sciences 2024. This recognition is in acknowledgement of her significant contribution to systems neuroscience and neuroendocrinology, particularly on the central neuroendocrine and synaptic regulation of behaviour through vasopressin and other neuropeptide systems of the brain.
Dr Zhang’s laboratory is focused on the question of how the hypothalamic neuroendocrine system modifies brain information processing and social behaviours, especially during stress coping and over the lifespan. Over the last decade, her research group has dissected the fine anatomy of hypothalamic magnocellular vasopressin neurosecretory neurons and identified the pathways specifying their innervations of the hippocampus and the lateral habenula, with consequences for reward and motivated behaviours.
What sets Dr Zhang apart is not only her highly original conceptual framework but also her seminal scientific experimental observations. Beyond her research, she stands out for her exemplary role as a mentor, teacher, and supervisor, nurturing the development of future scientists. Dr Zhang is actively dedicated to mentoring underrepresented neuroscientists to help them achieve their full potential. She embodies the qualities that ALBA consistently celebrates—recruiting, nurturing, and supporting scientists across diverse backgrounds to advance the field.
Born in Beijing, China, Dr Zhang arrived in México in 1979 as a cultural exchange scholar, winning a national scholarship competition. She is married to a Mexican theoretical physicist and is the proud mother of three children.
"Receiving the news of this award has fuelled my motivation to continue promoting science and education in Mexico, especially for women and mothers pursuing high-level scientific careers. I want to inspire young female scientists by demonstrating that being a mother, a wife, and a dedicated scientist are not mutually exclusive. Nurturing a family is not incompatible with a successful scientific career nor an obstacle to achieve one's dream. If you are someone with passion, diligence and an intense learning desire to understand nature, you can achieve great goals in this privileged profession which, in my opinion, represents the pinnacle of human curiosity, creativity, and even artistic expression." - Dr Limei Zhang
The ALBA-Elsevier Award Lecture Selection Committee would like to congratulate Dr Zhang for her pioneering and impactful work and encourages her to continue her efforts.
Dr Zhang will give a Special Lecture at the FENS Forum 2024, taking place in Vienna on 25-29 June 2024.
More information on the ALBA-Elsevier Award Lecture on Brain Sciences can be found here.
