Marthe Vogt
Encyclopedia
Marthe Louise Vogt was a German
scientist who was referred to as one of the leading neuroscientists
of the twentieth century. She is mainly remembered for her important contributions to the understanding of the role of neurotransmitter
s in the brain
.
, the daughter of two of Germany
's leading anatomists, Cécile and Oskar Vogt
(French and Danish-German respectively.) Her father during his career also carried out a post-mortem examination on Lenin's brain. Marthe studied at the University of Berlin and in the 1920s earned a doctorate in Chemistry from the institution. She subsequently worked in the Institute of Pharmacology in Berlin under Paul Trendelenburg where she met Edith Bülbring
and Wilhelm Feldberg
and where Paul Trendelenburg's son Ullrich
became her friend for life. By the early 1930s, she had established a reputation as one of Germany's leading pharmacologists, and in 1931, aged just 28, was appointed head of the chemical division at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institüt für Hirnforschung ("Brain Science").
, London
and Edinburgh
and in 1960 she moved back to Cambridge once more to head the Pharmacology Unit at the Babraham Institute
, retiring in 1968. She continued research there until 1990.
and in 1981 she was awarded the Royal Medal
of the Society. She also held honorary doctorates from Edinburgh and Cambridge. Perhaps her most intriguing accolade is her election in 1977 as a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
.
in 1988 to reside with her sister, noted cancer biologist Marguerite Vogt
(1913-2007). Marthe Vogt died the day after her 100th birthday in 2003.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
scientist who was referred to as one of the leading neuroscientists
Neurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
of the twentieth century. She is mainly remembered for her important contributions to the understanding of the role of neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitters are endogenous chemicals that transmit signals from a neuron to a target cell across a synapse. Neurotransmitters are packaged into synaptic vesicles clustered beneath the membrane on the presynaptic side of a synapse, and are released into the synaptic cleft, where they bind to...
s in the brain
Brain
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,...
.
Early life
Vogt was born in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, the daughter of two of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's leading anatomists, Cécile and Oskar Vogt
Oskar Vogt
Oskar Vogt was a German physician and neurologist. He was born in Husum - Schleswig-Holstein...
(French and Danish-German respectively.) Her father during his career also carried out a post-mortem examination on Lenin's brain. Marthe studied at the University of Berlin and in the 1920s earned a doctorate in Chemistry from the institution. She subsequently worked in the Institute of Pharmacology in Berlin under Paul Trendelenburg where she met Edith Bülbring
Edith Bülbring
Edith Bülbring was Professor of Pharmacology, Oxford University, 1967–71, later Emeritus Professor.She was educated at the universities of Bonn, Munich and Freiburg, and became a hospital doctor...
and Wilhelm Feldberg
Wilhelm Feldberg
Wilhelm Siegmund Feldberg CBE FRS was a German-British-Jewish physiologist and biologist.- Biography :...
and where Paul Trendelenburg's son Ullrich
Ullrich Georg Trendelenburg
Ullrich Georg Trendelenburg was a German pharmacologist.-Biography:He was born in Gehlsdorf near Rostock...
became her friend for life. By the early 1930s, she had established a reputation as one of Germany's leading pharmacologists, and in 1931, aged just 28, was appointed head of the chemical division at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institüt für Hirnforschung ("Brain Science").
From Germany to Britain
With Nazism on the rise throughout Germany, Vogt and others decide that a move to Britain would be greatly beneficial, and in 1935 she arrived on a Rockefeller Travelling Fellowship in England. Over the next thirty years, Vogt would divide her time between CambridgeCambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and in 1960 she moved back to Cambridge once more to head the Pharmacology Unit at the Babraham Institute
Babraham Institute
The Babraham Institute, set in an extensive parkland estate just south of Cambridge, is an independent charitable life sciences institute involved in biomedical research. The aim of this research is to discover the molecular mechanisms that underlie normal cellular processes and functions, and how...
, retiring in 1968. She continued research there until 1990.
Awards
Throughout her life Marthe Vogt received numerous accolades from many scientific institutions. In the early 1950s she was elected as a Fellow of the Royal SocietyRoyal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
and in 1981 she was awarded the Royal Medal
Royal Medal
The Royal Medal, also known as The Queen's Medal, is a silver-gilt medal awarded each year by the Royal Society, two for "the most important contributions to the advancement of natural knowledge" and one for "distinguished contributions in the applied sciences" made within the Commonwealth of...
of the Society. She also held honorary doctorates from Edinburgh and Cambridge. Perhaps her most intriguing accolade is her election in 1977 as a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
.
Later life
Marthe Vogt later relocated to La Jolla, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1988 to reside with her sister, noted cancer biologist Marguerite Vogt
Marguerite Vogt
Marguerite Vogt, MD was a cancer biologist and virologist. She was most noted for her research on polio and cancer at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.-Early life:...
(1913-2007). Marthe Vogt died the day after her 100th birthday in 2003.