Joanna S. Fowler
Encyclopedia
Joanna S. Fowler, a senior chemist
at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory
, and the Director of Brookhaven’s Center for Translational Neuroimaging, has been named the 2005 recipient of the Distinguished Basic Scientist of the Year Award from the Academy of Molecular Imaging.
in chemistry from the University of Colorado and did her postdoctoral work at the University of East Anglia
in England and at Brookhaven. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering departments at Stony Brook University. She is also married to Frank Fowler, Professor of Organic Chemistry at Stony Brook University.
function and also to diagnose and plan treatment for cancer
. She also developed another radiotracer, as these “tagged” molecules are called, that first showed that cocaine
’s distribution in the human brain parallels its effects on behavior.
Another of her major accomplishments was the development of radiotracers to map monoamine oxidase
(MAO), a brain enzyme that regulates the levels of other nerve-cell communication chemicals. Using these radiotracers, she discovered that smokers have reduced levels of MAO in their brains. This may account for some of the behavioral and epidemiological features of smoking, such as the high rate of smoking in individuals with depression and drug addiction, two conditions involving poor nerve-cell communication.
The imaging technologies used in Fowler’s studies are a direct outgrowth of the Department of Energy’s long-standing investment in basic physics and chemistry research. Through work on accelerators
designed to answer questions about the fundamental nature of matter and energy, pioneering DOE scientists understood and realized the potential to develop these miraculous tools for the diagnosis
and treatment of disease
. The ongoing research using these tools to investigate drug addiction and other diseases of the brain is a prime example of how our national laboratories bring together the expertise of chemists, physicists, and medical professionals to address questions of profound significance for society.
to diagnostics and health. She has worked for much of her career developing radiotracers for brain imaging to understand the mechanisms underlying drug addiction. Most recently, she has been engaged in developing methods to understand the relationship between genes
, brain chemistry and behavior.
Fowler played a central role in the development of a fluorine
-18-labeled glucose
molecule (FDG) enabling human brain glucose metabolism to be measured noninvasively. This positron
-emitting molecule, together with positron emission tomography
(PET) imaging, has become a mainstay for brain-imaging studies in schizophrenia
, aging and cancer
. Fowler's interest in monoamine oxidase (MAO), one of the two major enzymes involved in neurotransmitter regulation in the brain and peripheral organs, led her to develop the first radiotracers for imaging MAO in the human brain and in peripheral organs like the lungs and kidneys. This led to the discovery that smokers have reduced brain and lung MAO and to many studies relating reduced MAO to some of the behavioral and epidemiological features of smoking.
's Paul C. Aebersold Award for outstanding achievement in basic science. Fowler, who has been with Brookhaven since 1969, was elected to the National Academies of Science in 2004.
Selections were made following external peer review of applications based on evidence of sustained scientific excellence, significant scientific achievements, honors and awards, quality of peer-reviewed publications in high impact journals, number of publications, research relevance to programmatic goals in BER and recommendations from individuals at non-affiliated institutions.
’s Glen T. Seaborg Award for Nuclear and Radiochemistry (2002), the Society of Nuclear Imaging in Drug Development’s Alfred P. Wolf Award (2000), the Department of Energy’s E.O. Lawrence Award (1999), and the Francis P. Garvan-John M. Olin Medal in 1998.
Joanna S. Fowler, Ph.D., was recently awarded one of four Distinguished Scientist Fellowships sponsored by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research. Fowler, a chemist at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y., will receive $250,000 per year for up to five years.
In 2009, Fowler was awarded the National Medal of Science
from President Obama. (http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/PR_display.asp?prID=1010)
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory , is a United States national laboratory located in Upton, New York on Long Island, and was formally established in 1947 at the site of Camp Upton, a former U.S. Army base...
, and the Director of Brookhaven’s Center for Translational Neuroimaging, has been named the 2005 recipient of the Distinguished Basic Scientist of the Year Award from the Academy of Molecular Imaging.
Early life and education
Fowler received her Ph.D.Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in chemistry from the University of Colorado and did her postdoctoral work at the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
in England and at Brookhaven. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering departments at Stony Brook University. She is also married to Frank Fowler, Professor of Organic Chemistry at Stony Brook University.
Achievements
In 1976, Fowler and her colleagues designed and synthesized a radioactively “tagged” form of sugar that is now used widely to study brainBrain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
function and also to diagnose and plan treatment for cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. She also developed another radiotracer, as these “tagged” molecules are called, that first showed that cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
’s distribution in the human brain parallels its effects on behavior.
Another of her major accomplishments was the development of radiotracers to map monoamine oxidase
Monoamine oxidase
L-Monoamine oxidases are a family of enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of monoamines. They are found bound to the outer membrane of mitochondria in most cell types in the body. The enzyme was originally discovered by Mary Bernheim in the liver and was named tyramine oxidase...
(MAO), a brain enzyme that regulates the levels of other nerve-cell communication chemicals. Using these radiotracers, she discovered that smokers have reduced levels of MAO in their brains. This may account for some of the behavioral and epidemiological features of smoking, such as the high rate of smoking in individuals with depression and drug addiction, two conditions involving poor nerve-cell communication.
The imaging technologies used in Fowler’s studies are a direct outgrowth of the Department of Energy’s long-standing investment in basic physics and chemistry research. Through work on accelerators
Particle accelerator
A particle accelerator is a device that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds and to contain them in well-defined beams. An ordinary CRT television set is a simple form of accelerator. There are two basic types: electrostatic and oscillating field accelerators.In...
designed to answer questions about the fundamental nature of matter and energy, pioneering DOE scientists understood and realized the potential to develop these miraculous tools for the diagnosis
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of anything. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines with variations in the use of logics, analytics, and experience to determine the cause and effect relationships...
and treatment of disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
. The ongoing research using these tools to investigate drug addiction and other diseases of the brain is a prime example of how our national laboratories bring together the expertise of chemists, physicists, and medical professionals to address questions of profound significance for society.
Research
Fowler's research has led to fundamental new knowledge, important scientific tools and broad impact in the application of nuclear medicineNuclear medicine
In nuclear medicine procedures, elemental radionuclides are combined with other elements to form chemical compounds, or else combined with existing pharmaceutical compounds, to form radiopharmaceuticals. These radiopharmaceuticals, once administered to the patient, can localize to specific organs...
to diagnostics and health. She has worked for much of her career developing radiotracers for brain imaging to understand the mechanisms underlying drug addiction. Most recently, she has been engaged in developing methods to understand the relationship between genes
Gênes
Gênes is the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Italy, named after the city of Genoa. It was formed in 1805, when Napoleon Bonaparte occupied the Republic of Genoa. Its capital was Genoa, and it was divided in the arrondissements of Genoa, Bobbio, Novi Ligure, Tortona and...
, brain chemistry and behavior.
Fowler played a central role in the development of a fluorine
Fluorine
Fluorine is the chemical element with atomic number 9, represented by the symbol F. It is the lightest element of the halogen column of the periodic table and has a single stable isotope, fluorine-19. At standard pressure and temperature, fluorine is a pale yellow gas composed of diatomic...
-18-labeled glucose
Glucose
Glucose is a simple sugar and an important carbohydrate in biology. Cells use it as the primary source of energy and a metabolic intermediate...
molecule (FDG) enabling human brain glucose metabolism to be measured noninvasively. This positron
Positron
The positron or antielectron is the antiparticle or the antimatter counterpart of the electron. The positron has an electric charge of +1e, a spin of ½, and has the same mass as an electron...
-emitting molecule, together with positron emission tomography
Positron emission tomography
Positron emission tomography is nuclear medicine imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional image or picture of functional processes in the body. The system detects pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting radionuclide , which is introduced into the body on a...
(PET) imaging, has become a mainstay for brain-imaging studies in schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, aging and cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. Fowler's interest in monoamine oxidase (MAO), one of the two major enzymes involved in neurotransmitter regulation in the brain and peripheral organs, led her to develop the first radiotracers for imaging MAO in the human brain and in peripheral organs like the lungs and kidneys. This led to the discovery that smokers have reduced brain and lung MAO and to many studies relating reduced MAO to some of the behavioral and epidemiological features of smoking.
Awards
Fowler's scientific excellence and achievements have been recognized by prestigious awards, including the Society of Nuclear MedicineSociety of Nuclear Medicine
The Society of Nuclear Medicine, or SNM, based in Reston, Virginia, is a nonprofit organization founded in 1954. There are 17,000 members: physicians, pharmacists, physicists and scientists, except for a separate section of 10,000 technologists...
's Paul C. Aebersold Award for outstanding achievement in basic science. Fowler, who has been with Brookhaven since 1969, was elected to the National Academies of Science in 2004.
Selections were made following external peer review of applications based on evidence of sustained scientific excellence, significant scientific achievements, honors and awards, quality of peer-reviewed publications in high impact journals, number of publications, research relevance to programmatic goals in BER and recommendations from individuals at non-affiliated institutions.
Honours
In 2003, Fowler was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Her numerous other honors include the American Chemical SocietyAmerican Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
’s Glen T. Seaborg Award for Nuclear and Radiochemistry (2002), the Society of Nuclear Imaging in Drug Development’s Alfred P. Wolf Award (2000), the Department of Energy’s E.O. Lawrence Award (1999), and the Francis P. Garvan-John M. Olin Medal in 1998.
Joanna S. Fowler, Ph.D., was recently awarded one of four Distinguished Scientist Fellowships sponsored by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research. Fowler, a chemist at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y., will receive $250,000 per year for up to five years.
In 2009, Fowler was awarded the National Medal of Science
National Medal of Science
The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and...
from President Obama. (http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/PR_display.asp?prID=1010)