7. Women Pioneers in Neuroscience: Celebrating Their Contributions

Maria Manasseina and the Foundation of Sleep Science

Maria Mikhailovna Manasseina (1843–1903) was a female doctor who graduated in Europe. She made notable contributions to fields like biochemistry, physiology and the study of sleep deprivation. Manasseina pioneered the idea that the effects of sleep deprivation stem from the brain emphasizing that sleep plays a role in sustaining life compared to food. In 1889 she published a comprehensive handbook on sleep in Russian. Which later got translated into English and gained popularity in Europe serving as an important reference on the topic. Challenging the belief that sleep was simply an inactive state of the brain Manasseina suggested it represented a unique form of brain activity. This perspective was particularly insightful since the technology for measuring brain activity through electroencephalography wouldn’t emerge for two decades. Before exploring sleep she conducted research at the Polytechnic University of Vienna where she studied fermentation and discovered that it resulted from compounds extracted from yeast cells rather than from the yeast itself. Although Eduard Buchner confirmed these findings later in time he failed to credit Manasseina’s work in his publications despite his knowledge of it. Buchner was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1907 for this discovery while Manasseina’s accomplishments sadly remained overlooked, forgotten.

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Laura Forster and Manuela Serra at the Spanish School of Neurohistology

Laura Forster and Manuela Serra were women who worked at the Spanish Neurological School founded by Santiago Ramón y Cajal in Madrid. Despite being part of a team dominated by men both Forster and Serra were acknowledged members of the school since 1922 during the ceremony honoring Cajal with the Echegaray medal from the Royal Spanish National Academy of Sciences.

Laura Elizabeth Forster (1858–1917) hails from Australia where she began her education. After her fathers death she moved to England and then pursued studies at the University of Bern Switzerland. Following six years of study at the Institute of Pathology specializing in muscle spindle fibers she graduated in 1894. Forster later joined the Physiological Laboratory in Oxford under Gustav Mann focusing on the histology of lymph nodes affected by tuberculosis.

In 1911 Forster moved to Madrid to join Cajal’s lab. During her time there she spent months investigating the degeneration of nerve fibers caused by cord injuries in birds and comparing her results with Cajal’s previous studies on mammals. Her use of neurofibrillary techniques on birds led to a groundbreaking publication in September 1911 showcasing detailed illustrations inspired by Cajal’s style. Cajal frequently acknowledged Forster’s work, recognizing her contributions. Forster’s scientific career concluded in 1912 when she volunteered as a nurse, during the First Balkan War and later served, in World War I as women were not allowed to work as doctors at the front.

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Information on Manuela Serra is limited as noted by Giné et al. While Serra did not hold a doctor or senior research position she conducted studies on intracellular fibrils within ependymal cells and astrocytes in frog spinal cords. In 1921 Serra shared her findings in Cajal’s laboratory journal introducing the concept of microglia, which she referred to as “mesoglia, ” along with ten illustrative drawings.

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The women neuroscientists at Cajal’s school primarily engaged in research or collaborative work. While their roles were important they didn’t receive as much visibility as their counterparts in other countries despite making contributions to the field of neuroscience.

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Augusta Dejerine-Klumpke, an Exceptional Neurologist and Neuroanatomist

Augusta Marie Dejerine-Klumpke (1859–1927) was an American with roots who spoke English, German and French. Her proficiency in these languages helped her access scientific literature which was primarily published in them before English became the language in science after World War II. In 1882 drawing on the work of the neurologist Wilhelm Heinrich Erb regarding plexus injuries Dejerine Klumpke discovered and described lower plexus paralysis known as Klumpkes palsy. During World War I she and her daughter Yvonne cared for soldiers with injuries and established a center near Fontainebleau with assistance from family and friends.

In collaboration with her husband Jules Dejerine (1849–1917) Dejerine Klumpke contributed significantly to the two volume publication. Anatomie des centres nerveux (Anatomy of the Central Nervous System) in the field of neurology. At a conference held in Paris in 1908 she participated in a debate involving Jules Dejerine and Pierre Marie, who studied under Charcot. Dejerine supported a classification system for types of aphasia while Marie favored a perspective focusing on a type Wernickes aphasia and connecting Brocas aphasia to anarthria in a region involving the ganglia and internal capsule. Through neuroanatomical evidence Dejerine Klumpke disputed Maries theories demonstrating that lesions in the space linked to causing aphasia only affected areas associated with language processing. Following the death of Jules Dejerine, Pierre Marie took over the field of neurology and dismissed Augustas position instructing her to vacate the lab. Subsequently, Dejerine Klumpke along with her daughter established the “Fondation Dejerine” aimed at preserving their work and research under roof.

The collections of the Foundation now reside, at the University, in Paris and are overseen by the university library. Throughout her career Dejerine Klumpke was honored with awards such as the Anatomy Prize for education (1878–1879) the Goddard Prize from the Academy of Medicine (1886) a medal from the Faculty of Medicine in Paris the Lallemand Prize from the Academy of Sciences for her thesis (1890) a Legion of Honor for her contributions (1913) and a second Legion of Honor as an Officer (1921) recognizing her dedication to caring for wounded soldiers during World War I. In 1914 she became the female president of the French Society of Neurology.

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Cécile Vogt: Neuroscience to Dismantle Cultural and Political Discrimination

Auguste Marie Cécile Mugnier Vogt (1875 1962) was among the women to study at a medical school in Paris. Focusing on anatomy under the neurologist Pierre Marie at the Bicetre Hospital she completed her degree in 1900 with a thesis. While in Paris Cécile crossed paths with Oskar Vogt (1870 1959) who had worked in Augusta and Jules Dejerine’s laboratory, at La Salpetriere Hospital. After their marriage they moved to Berlin where they engaged in a collaboration at the Neurobiological Laboratory leading to advancements in neuropathology and neuroanatomy. In 1914 they joined the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Brain Research (KWI) in Berlin which later evolved into the Max Planck Institute (KWI) for Brain Research. Oskar served as the director while Cécile headed the department at this prestigious institution.

Cécile Vogts contributions to understanding the system’s structure significantly improved our comprehension of how different brain areas communicate with one another. Through her clinical studies she explored the thalamus’s organization, the corpus striatum pathology and the cellular composition of the cerebral cortex. Céciles’ groundbreaking research on nuclei and their connections laid the foundation for comprehending thalamic functions, in today’s context. She was among a group of European researchers, including Sherrington, in the UK who utilized electrical stimulation methods on the cortex. Especially in the 1920s Cécile confronted prevailing stereotypes regarding women’s intellectual abilities and disproved assertions of differences in brain structure based on gender.

In collaboration with Oskar Vogt they worked alongside Korbinian Brodmann gaining recognition as prominent figures in the field of brain research. However after 1933 they faced scrutiny from the National Socialists resulting in their departure from the KWI. In 1937 they found refuge in Neustadt within the Forest where they continued their research at a privately funded Institute for Brain Research and General Biology. Despite enduring challenges throughout both World Wars and Germany’s changing socio economic landscape, Cécile Vogt had a successful scientific career lasting over six decades. Prior to marrying, Oskar adopted Céciles’ daughter Claire. Together they welcomed two daughters, Marthe and Marguerite.

The Vogt family made significant contributions. To the field of science. Claire (1898 1978) advanced knowledge in neurology and played a role in pioneering child neuropsychiatry. Marthe (1903 2003) distinguished herself as a neurophysiologist and pharmacologist conducting research, on neuropharmacology in the UK receiving recognition as a Fellow of the Royal Society. Marguerite (1913 2007) shone as a biologist and virologist at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) where she collaborated with Renato Dulbecco. Together they made an important discovery in cultures leading to the establishment of virology as a discipline. Despite her accomplishments in molecular sciences Marguerite Vogt remained largely unrecognized for her work. Her partnership with Dulbecco was overshadowed, by his accolades, including the Nobel Prize in 1975. During his Nobel Lecture Dulbecco acknowledged their contributions, but failed to mention Marguerite Vogts name even though their publications were cited in the references.

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