Research

Research Priorities: Cellular neuroscience, biophysics, non-clinical pharmacology

Péter P. Somogyi is a Hungarian-British biologist whose main focus lies on the neurobiology and anatomy of the brain. His research priorities include cellular neuroscience, the physiology and biophysics of cells, and non-clinical pharmacology.

Péter Somogyi’s research focuses on chemically identifying types of nerve cells and localising signal molecules in micro-circuits. He is considered a pioneer in the identification of individual neurons by determining their synaptic relationships, their molecular composition, and synaptic effects. Somogyi discovered and classified numerous neurons and their places in the synaptic network of the neocortex, the hippocampus, the cerebellum, and the basal ganglia. He used electron microscopy and other optical methods to study brain activity.

By decoding different system components of the brain, his research improves the understanding of normal and uncontrolled brain activity, the function of memory, and sensory analytics.

Career

• since 2016 Professor of Neurobiology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
• 1985-2016 Deputy Director, Co-Director and Director, Medical Research Council Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
• 1983-1985 Scientist, Department of Human Physiology, Flinders University, Flinders, Australia and University of Adelaide Medical School, Adelaide, Australia
• 1976-1983 Research Associate, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA), Hungary and Institute of Anatomy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
• 1977 Doctorate, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
• 1975-1976 Research Associate, MTA, Hungary and Institute of Anatomy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
• 1969-1975 Degree in Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary

Functions

• since 2008 Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Experimental Neuroscience
• since 2007 Member, Editorial Board, Brain Structure and Function
• since 2003 Member, Editorial Board, Hippocampus
• 1996-1999 Receiving Editor, Editorial Board, European Journal of Neuroscience
• 1995-2001 Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Neuroscience
• since 1992 Member, Editorial Board, Journal für Hirnforschung
• since 1990 Member, Editorial Board, Cerebral Cortex
• since 1989 Member, Editorial Board, Experimental Brain Research
• since 1988 Member, Editorial Board, European Journal of Neuroscience
• since 1978 Member, Editorial Board, Neuroscience
• 1988-2005 Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy
• 1987-1989 Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Neurocytology

Honours and Memberships

• 2011 The Brain Prize, Lundbeck Foundation, Hamburg
• since 2009 Elected Member, Academia Europaea
• 2009 Feldberg Prize, Feldberg Foundation for Anglo-German scientific exchange, London, UK
• 2008 Elected Associate, Neuroscience Research Program, The Neurosciences Institute, San Diego, USA
• since 2006 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
• 2006 Istvan Bathory Prize, Hungarian National Council of Transylvania, Hungary
• 2006 Janos Arany Medal, MTA, Hungary
• since 2006 Elected Member, Academy of Medical Sciences, London, UK
• since 2004 Corresponding Member, MTA, Hungary
• 2004 Elected Nicholas Kurti-Senior Research Fellow, Brasenose College, Oxford, UK
• 2002 Visiting Professor, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
• since 2000 Elected Member, Royal Society of London, London, UK
• 1998 Visiting Professor, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
• 1995 Yngve Zotterman Prize, Swedish Physiological Society, Sweden
• 1991 Krieg Cortical Discoverer Award, Cajal Club, American Anatomical Society, USA
• 1990 Honorary Doctorate, József Attila University, Szeged, Hungary
• 1988 Merck Sharp and Dohme Visiting Professor, Department of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
• 1984 Charles Judson Herrick Award in Neuroanatomy, Association of American Anatomists, USA
• 1982 Mihály von Lenhossék Prize, Association of Hungarian Anatomists and Embryologists, Hungary
• 1977 Science Award for Young Scientists, MTA, Hungary
• 1976 Science Award for Young Scientists, MTA, Hungary