Proteins are the building blocks of our cells. This includes all cells, but it’s in our brain cells where the real magic happens: without proteins, we couldn’t learn, adapt, or form memories. But how does the brain get the right proteins to the right place in the nerve cells? With billions of proteins and thousands of interfaces for each nerve cell, this has long been a mystery.

American brain scientist Erin Schuman has solved it. She has discovered that proteins are produced directly at the interfaces between nerve cells – and not, as has long been assumed, in the cell body. For her groundbreaking research, Erin Schuman has been awarded the Körber European Science Prize, which is endowed with one million euros. In the podcast, the Director at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research chats about what inspired her to start a career in science, new developments in treating brain diseases, and why it's important to follow your passion in life.

More about Erin Schuman and her work: https://koerber-stiftung.de/en/projects/koerber-european-science-prize/all-prizewinners/2024-erin-schuman/#s42448