Ana Belén Elgoyhen
Ana Belén Elgoyhen | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 13, 1959 Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Occupation(s) | Pharmacology professor, Scientist |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Known for | Research on molecular foundations of auditory function |
Ana Belén Elgoyhen (born December 13, 1959) is a distinguished Argentine scientist, serving as a pharmacology professor at the University of Buenos Aires and an independent investigator at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). She has gained international acclaim for her pioneering research into the molecular foundations of auditory function, which holds promise for advancing treatments of hearing impairments and related disorders.
Biography
A native of Buenos Aires, Elgoyhen completed her biochemistry degree at the University of Buenos Aires in 1984, followed by a PhD under the mentorship of Edda Adler de Graschinsky at the same institution. In 1991, she was selected for the Pew Scholars Program in Biomedical Sciences, enabling her to conduct postdoctoral studies at California’s Salk Institute for Biological Studies. By 1994, she had identified critical receptors within the human auditory system responsible for sound processing and modulation. Later that year, she returned to Argentina to continue her scientific career.
From 1997 to 2011, Elgoyhen held the title of International Scholar with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship during 2003–2004. Her groundbreaking work on the molecular mechanisms underlying hearing earned her the L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science in 2008, an honor shared that year with notable scientists such as Elizabeth Blackburn and Ada Yonath.
In recognition of her contributions to auditory genetics and physiology, Argentine authorities named her "Researcher of the Argentine Nation" in 2012.
Currently, Elgoyhen is a senior researcher at the Institute of Investigations in Genetic Engineering and Molecular Biology "Dr. Héctor N. Torres." Since 2001, she has also held an adjunct professorship in pharmacology at the University of Buenos Aires Faculty of Medicine, and since 2009, she has been an adjunct professor within Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Department of Otorhinolaryngology.
Prizes and distinctions
| Year | Award | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Sociedad Argentina de Farmacología Experimental | "Effects of benzodiazepines on 3H-noradrenaline release and chronotropic responses to nerve stimulation in rat atria" |
| 1992 | CEDIQUIFA Prize in Pharmacology | |
| 1994 | Verum Foundation for Behavior and Environment (Germany) | "Cloning and functional expression of Alpha9: a novel acetylcholine-gated ion channel" |
| 1995 | Strauss Foundation Award in Auditory Science (United States) | |
| 1997 | Penny and Bob Fox Award in Auditory Science (United States) | |
| 2000 | Bernardo Houssay Award | "Cloning and functional characterization of the nicotinic receptor involved in efferent control of auditory and vestibular systems" |
| 2002 | Bernardo Houssay Award in Pharmacology | |
| 2003 | Joan and Marc Millar Award in Auditory Science (United States) | |
| 2003 | "Joven Sobresaliente" Prize (Fundación Vasco Argentina Juan de Garay) | |
| 2004 | Member of Collegium Oto-Rhino-Laryngologicum Amicitiae Sacrum | |
| 2005 | H.F. Lenfest Award in Auditory Science | |
| 2008 | L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science – Latin America | |
| 2008 | Outstanding Personality in Science – Autonomous City of Buenos Aires | |
| 2011 | TWAS Prize in Biology | |
| 2012 | Researcher of the Argentine Nation (Investigadora de la Nación Argentina) | |
| 2013 | Platinum Konex Award in Science and Technology – Basic Biomedical Sciences | |
| 2014 | Bernardo Houssay Award | |
| 2023 | Konex Award in Science and Technology – Basic Biomedical Sciences |