Dr. Martin F. Schneider, a Maryland-i Egyetem (USA) professzorának díszdoktori avatása a Debreceni Egyetemen 2002. június 8.
Dr. Martin F. Schneider, professor of the University of Maryland is a prominent scholar of physiology and cell physiology as well as an outstanding character of the international scientific community.
Professor Schneider defended his PhD theses at the Department of Physiology of the Duke University in 1969 then accepted a postdoctoral position at the Yale University. Later he worked in Rochester, N.Y., while since 1984 he is a staff member of the University of Maryland at Baltimore.
At the beginning of his scientific career he investigated the skeletal muscle functions. He was the first worldwide who measured the movements of the intramembrane voltage sensors in skeletal muscle fibres and described their roles in the regulation of the contraction. He was also the first to measure myoplasmic calcium concentration changes optically by using calcium sensitive absorption dyes and later on fluorescent calcium indicators.
More recently he has extended his activity to the investigation of neuronal calcium homeostasis. He is also interested in the genetic background of the plasticity of skeletal muscle fiber subtypes and performs confocal microscopy analysis of the intracellular calcium stores.
Professor Schneider’s outstanding scientific activity is reflected by a significant number of research articles, several book chapters and reviews. He frequently participates in international conferences as invited speaker. His former co-workers hold now leading positions at several prestigious universities.
During his academic career Martin Schneider established a continuous co-operation with the University of Debrecen. Since 1974 several researchers from Debrecen worked in his laboratory and spent there more than ten years altogether. With his help, the Department of Physiology gained a long-lasting research grant from the Muscular Dystrophy Association of the US which could be used exclusively in Debrecen.
It is a great pleasure to acknowledge the powerful help that our new Honorary Doctor, Martin Schneider, a well-respected expert of the physiological sciences provided to the University of Debrecen in the last several decades. His support was valuable both in improving research conditions and in developing international collaborations. The history of our professional and personal connections ensures a similarly promising continuation of this co-operation in the forthcoming years.