Katharine Montagu was the first researcher to identify

dopamine Dopamine (DA, a contraction of 3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine) is a neuromodulatory molecule that plays several important roles in cells. It is an organic compound, organic chemical of the catecholamine and phenethylamine families. Dopamine const ...

human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

brain A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a v ...

s. Working in Hans Weil-Malherbe’s laboratory at the

Runwell Hospital Runwell Hospital was a hospital in the Chelmsford district of Essex. It was managed by the South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. History Following the ending of contracts accommodating patients at the Essex County Council's ...

outside

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

the presence of dopamine was identified by paper

chromatography In chemical analysis, chromatography is a laboratory technique for the separation of a mixture into its components. The mixture is dissolved in a fluid solvent (gas or liquid) called the ''mobile phase'', which carries it through a system (a ...

in the brain of several species, including a human brain. Her research was published in August 1957, followed and confirmed by Hans Weil-Malherbe in November 1957. Nobel Prize-rewarded

Arvid Carlsson Arvid Carlsson (25 January 1923 – 29 June 2018) was a Swedish neuropharmacologist who is best known for his work with the neurotransmitter dopamine and its effects in Parkinson's disease. For his work on dopamine, Carlsson was awarded the No ...

is often claimed to be the first researcher to identify dopamine in human brain, however his research was published in November 1957, along with colleagues Margit Linsqvist and Tor Magnusson.

References

British neuroscientists British women neuroscientists 1966 deaths {{UK-med-bio-stub