Marian Joëls

Marian Joëls
Born (1956-11-29) November 29, 1956
Alma materUtrecht University
Known forCellular effects of stress on the brain
AwardsKnight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (2022)
Julius Axelrod Prize, Society for Neuroscience (2024)
Scientific career
FieldsStress (biology) Cognition
Institutions
Doctoral advisorDavid de Wied

Marian Joëls (born 29 November 1956) is a Dutch neuroscientist and academic leader known for her pioneering research on the effects of stress hormones on the brain, particularly at the cellular and physiological levels.[1] She is an emeritus professor of neurobiology of environmental factors at the University of Groningen and served as the dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG).[2]

Education

Joëls obtained her PhD in 1984 from Utrecht University under the supervision of David de Wied and Ivan Urban.[3] She subsequently moved to the University of Texas Medical Branch, where she worked with Joel Gallagher and Patricia Shinnick-Gallagher[4]. She later joined the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation as a postdoctoral fellow under the supervision of Floyd E. Bloom and George R. Siggins[5][6][7].

Career

In 1991, she was appointed associate professor at the University of Amsterdam, where she was promoted to full professor in zoology in 1996.[8] In 2009, she moved to Utrecht University, where she served as the director of the Rudolf Magnus Institute (RMI).[3] In 2016, she was appointed dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Groningen and board member of the UMCG, a position she held until the end of 2022, focusing on the integration of research and clinical practice.[9]

Joëls has trained many PhD students and postdoctoral fellows who currently hold leading academic positions, including Paul J. Lucassen[10], Harmen Krugers[11], Vivi Heine[12], Marloes Henckens[13], and Milou Sep[14].

Research

Joëls' research has been instrumental in bridging the gap between cellular neuroendocrinology and systems neuroscience[15]. Her work focuses on how stress affects the rodent and human brain function:

  • Cellular mechanisms of stress: She was among the first to describe how mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptors modulate the electrical activity of neurons. Her work showed that stress hormones shift the "gain" of neuronal signaling, influencing how the brain processes information.[16]
  • The Temporal Domain: Joëls and Karst proposed that the effects of corticosteroids are highly time-dependent, involving rapid non-genomic effects followed by slower, long-lasting genomic changes that reprogram neuronal excitability.[17]
  • Synaptic plasticity: Marian Joëls and Harmen Krugers demonstrated that directly after acute stress, synaptic plasticity (learning) is enhanced, which precludes further synaptic potentiation and preserves stress-related information.[18] Chronic or mistimed stress hampers the plasticity window, potentially explaining memory deficits in stress-related disorders[19][20][21].
  • Resilience and Vulnerability: In close collaboration with Edo Ronald de Kloet, she has explored how early-life experiences interact with genetic predispositions to determine an individual's resilience to mental health disorders later in life.[22][23]

Honors and awards

Joëls has received recognition for her scientific and institutional leadership, including:

Notable positions

Books

She wrote several books in Dutch about the brain and about the position of leading women in society[32], published by Prometheus Publishers[33].

See also

References

  1. ^ Joëls, Marian; Baram, Tallie Z. (June 2009). "The neuro-symphony of stress". Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 10 (6): 459–466. doi:10.1038/nrn2632.
  2. ^ "Curriculum Vitae of prof. dr. M. (Marian) Joëls | How to find us | University of Groningen". www.rug.nl.
  3. ^ a b c "Joëls M." Catalogus professorum (in Dutch).
  4. ^ Joëls, M.; Shinnick-Gallagher, P.; Gallagher, J.P. (August 1987). "Effect of serotonin and serotonin analogues on passive membrane properties of lateral septal neurons in vitro". Brain Research. 417 (1): 99–107. doi:10.1016/0006-8993(87)90183-1.
  5. ^ Moore, Scott D.; Madamba, Samuel G.; Joëls, Marian; Siggins, George R. (15 January 1988). "Somatostatin Augments the M-Current in Hippocampal Neurons". Science. 239 (4837): 278–280. doi:10.1126/science.2892268.
  6. ^ Joëls, Marian (September 2018). "Corticosteroids and the brain". Journal of Endocrinology. 238 (3): R121–R130. doi:10.1530/JOE-18-0226.
  7. ^ Joels, M; Yool, A J; Gruol, D L (May 1989). "Unique properties of non-N-methyl-D-aspartate excitatory responses in cultured purkinje neurons". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 86 (9): 3404–3408. doi:10.1073/pnas.86.9.3404. PMC 287141.
  8. ^ "Album Academicum | M. Joëls". albumacademicum.uva.nl.
  9. ^ a b "Marian Joëls benoemd tot decaan Medische Wetenschappen en lid Raad van Bestuur UMCG". Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (in Dutch). 20 April 2016.
  10. ^ Amsterdam, Universiteit van (6 October 2025). "Prof. dr. P.J. (Paul) Lucassen". University of Amsterdam.
  11. ^ Amsterdam, Universiteit van (11 January 2026). "Dr. H.J. (Harm) Krugers". University of Amsterdam.
  12. ^ "Vivi Heine". CNCR.
  13. ^ "Dr. Marloes Henckens". www.radboudumc.nl (in Dutch).
  14. ^ "Milou Sep". Amsterdam UMC.
  15. ^ Joëls, Marian (September 2018). "Corticosteroids and the brain". Journal of Endocrinology. 238 (3): R121–R130. doi:10.1530/JOE-18-0226.
  16. ^ Joëls, Marian; Sarabdjitsingh, R. Angela; Karst, Henk (October 2012). "Unraveling the Time Domains of Corticosteroid Hormone Influences on Brain Activity: Rapid, Slow, and Chronic Modes". Pharmacological Reviews. 64 (4): 901–938. doi:10.1124/pr.112.005892. PMID 23023031.
  17. ^ Joëls, Marian; Karst, Henk; Tasker, Jeffrey G. (July 2024). "The emerging role of rapid corticosteroid actions on excitatory and inhibitory synaptic signaling in the brain". Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology. 74 101146. doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2024.101146. hdl:11370/b687cde2-bf6a-4d0f-9ed5-c3c969643c77. PMID 39004314.
  18. ^ Joëls, Marian; Krugers, Harm J. (2007). "LTP after Stress: Up or Down?". Neural Plasticity. 2007: 1–6. doi:10.1155/2007/93202. PMID 17502912.
  19. ^ Joëls, Marian (April 2011). "Impact of glucocorticoids on brain function: Relevance for mood disorders". Psychoneuroendocrinology. 36 (3): 406–414. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.03.004.
  20. ^ Schwabe, Lars; Hermans, Erno J.; Joëls, Marian; Roozendaal, Benno (May 2022). "Mechanisms of memory under stress". Neuron. 110 (9): 1450–1467. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2022.02.020.
  21. ^ Sep, Milou S. C.; Geuze, Elbert; Joëls, Marian (7 December 2023). "Impaired learning, memory, and extinction in posttraumatic stress disorder: translational meta-analysis of clinical and preclinical studies". Translational Psychiatry. 13 (1). doi:10.1038/s41398-023-02660-7. hdl:11370/6839f8b5-51cc-4a20-a373-d309bd503f38.
  22. ^ de Kloet, E. Ronald; Joëls, Marian (January 2024). "The cortisol switch between vulnerability and resilience". Molecular Psychiatry. 29 (1): 20–34. doi:10.1038/s41380-022-01934-8. hdl:1887/3563493. PMID 36599967.
  23. ^ de Kloet, E. Ron; Joëls, Marian; Holsboer, Florian (June 2005). "Stress and the brain: from adaptation to disease". Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 6 (6): 463–475. doi:10.1038/nrn1683. PMID 15891777.
  24. ^ "Marian Joëls - KNAW - KNAW". knaw.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 21 February 2026.
  25. ^ [psych.mpg.de/1619976/PM1310 "Emil Kraepelin Guest Professorship awarded to Professor Charles Nemeroff"]. psych.mpg.de. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  26. ^ "Bruce McEwen Lifetime Achievement". www.ispne.net.
  27. ^ "ALBA-FKNE DIVERSITY PRIZE 2021 WINNER". Alba Network.
  28. ^ "Koninklijke onderscheiding voor afzwaaiende UMCG-neurowetenschapper Marian Joëls". www.rtvnoord.nl (in Dutch). 11 November 2022.
  29. ^ "Stress and Resilience: Exploring New Horizons in Science and Applications". EPFL.
  30. ^ "SfN Award and Prize Recipients". www.sfn.org.
  31. ^ "FENS leadership". FENS.
  32. ^ "Baanbreeksters". Uitgeverij Prometheus (in Dutch).
  33. ^ "Uitgeverij Prometheus - Online Boekenwinkel". Uitgeverij Prometheus (in Dutch).
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