Małgorzata Kossut (born 10 March 1950) is a Polish

neuroscientist A neuroscientist (or neurobiologist) is a scientist specializing in neuroscience that deals with the anatomy and function of neurons, Biological neural network, neural circuits, and glia, and their Behavior, behavioral, biological, and psycholo ...

specializing in

neuroplasticity Neuroplasticity, also known as neural plasticity or just plasticity, is the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through neurogenesis, growth and reorganization. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to reorganize and rewir ...

and neural mechanisms of

learning Learning is the process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behaviors, skills, value (personal and cultural), values, Attitude (psychology), attitudes, and preferences. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, non-human animals, and ...

and

memory Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembe ...

, professor of natural sciences, Head of Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology and Laboratory of Neuroplasticity of the

Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology The Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology is a Polish scientific research organization and a part of Polish Academy of Sciences headquartered in Warsaw, Poland. Founded in 1918, it is named after Polish biochemist and medic Marceli Nencki. It ...

, member of the

Polish Academy of Sciences The Polish Academy of Sciences (, PAN) is a Polish state-sponsored institution of higher learning. Headquartered in Warsaw, it is responsible for spearheading the development of science across the country by a society of distinguished scholars a ...

Life and work

She graduated in biology from the

University of Warsaw The University of Warsaw (, ) is a public university, public research university in Warsaw, Poland. Established on November 19, 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country, offering 37 different fields of study as well ...

in 1973. Then she studied at the

of the

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, where she examined the changes occurring in the

cerebral cortex The cerebral cortex, also known as the cerebral mantle, is the outer layer of neural tissue of the cerebrum of the brain in humans and other mammals. It is the largest site of Neuron, neural integration in the central nervous system, and plays ...

of animals that were subject to

sensory deprivation Sensory deprivation or perceptual isolation is the deliberate reduction or removal of stimuli from one or more of the senses. Simple devices such as blindfolds or hoods and earmuffs can cut off sight and hearing, while more complex devices can ...

. She obtained her Ph.D. at the Nencki Institute in 1976. In 1994 she was awarded with the title of professor of natural sciences. Since 1976 she works at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, where she is Head of Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology and Laboratory of Neuroplasticity. Since 1998 she is a member of European DANA Alliance for the Brain. She was a chairman of the Committee of Neurobiology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (2005–2008)Członkowie korespondenci PAN - Małgorzata Kossut
/ref> and was elected a board member of the European Brain and Behaviour Society (for years 2012–2015). Since 2009 he has been the Head of the Department of Psychophysiology of Cognitive Processes at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Research

Her team's research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of

induced by the learning of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...

s, the development of the

optic tract In neuroanatomy, the optic tract () is a part of the visual system in the brain. It is a continuation of the optic nerve that relays information from the optic chiasm to the ipsilateral lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), pretectal nuclei, and su ...

cat The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

s and after the

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

and during aging in humans.Pracownia Neuroplastyczności
/ref>

Selected works

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kossut, Małgorzata Living people Polish neuroscientists Polish women neuroscientists Members of the Polish Academy of Sciences University of Warsaw alumni 1950 births Academic staff of SWPS University