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Prof. Johanna H. Meijer
Johanna H. Meijer
Born(1959-03-26)26 March 1959
The Hague, Netherlands
NationalityDutch
Alma materLeiden University
Known forCircadian Rhythms
Scientific career
FieldsChronobiology, Neurophysiology
Websitehttps://www.johannahmeijer.com/

Johanna H. Meijer (born 26 March 1959) is a Dutch scientist who has contributed to the field of chronobiology. She started a national wide program, involving eight Dutch universities to study the effects of clock disturbance on human health and biodiversity.[1] Notably, Meijer is the 2016 recipient of the Aschoff and Honma Prize.[2]

Biography

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Academic career

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Meijer attended Leiden University in the Netherlands, where she obtained her master’s degree (cum laude) in the Department of Biology, Physics, and Medicine.[3] Meijer began her work on circadian rhythms alongside electrophysiologist Gerard Groos, who sadly passed away in 1985.[4] Meijer continued building on Groos’ foundational work, allowing for translational research, and expanded electrophysiological techniques to in-vivo recordings. In 1989, she completed her PhD. in Medical Sciences (cum laude).[3] She obtained a fellowship from the Dutch Royal Academy of Sciences and was appointed full Professor of Neurophysiology in 2007.[3]

Meijer has advanced her research on circadian rhythms and chronobiology as a full Professor and Chair of the Neurophysiology Group at the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands. Additionally, she served as a five year visiting professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.[3]

Major discoveries

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  • Identification of the mechanism for photoperiodic encoding by the central clock[5][6][7][8][9]
  • Identification of glutamate neurotransmitter for entrainment to the external light-dark cycle and GABA neurotransmitter for entrainment within the central clock[10][11][12][13][14][15]
  • Discovery of short wavelength photoreceptor role for photoentrainment[16][17][18]
  • Identification of blue, green, and red light response in the central clock of humans by fMRI[19][20]
  • Identification of clock response to physical activity[21][22][23][24]
  • Cancer-related fatigue is caused by a dysfunctioning circadian clock[25]

Research

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Her initial interests were in biophysics, brain research, and the philosophy of science. Throughout her career, she continued to work in these domains.

Her first work on circadian systems began with an analysis of the electrophysiological responsiveness of the mammalian clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), to light. [10][16][17][18][26]She showed that glutamate is the main transmitter between the eye and the SCN,[15] and that NMDA is the major receptor involved in entrainment to light.[14] Furthermore, she showed that GABA transmits information within the SCN.[11][12][13]

Meijer demonstrated that long and short photoperiods are encoded by a redistribution of temporal activity patterns of individual neurons.[6][9] Hence, photoperiodic encoding is a tissue property. This is in contrast to the ability of single cells to generate 24-hour patterns (Nobel prize-winning work of Hall, Rosbash, and Young). Together, these findings illustrate that distinct hierarchical levels are responsible for different properties in the circadian system. This view prompted Meijer to incorporate complexity theory in her analysis.

In her investigations of retinal photoreceptors, mediating entrainment, Meijer showed that classical [16][18]photoreceptors are sufficient for entrainment. She identified a major role for a short wavelength photoreceptor (UV light) in synchronizing the clock of nocturnal mammals to the light-dark cycle.[17] Furthermore, she established the response of the SCN to different colors in humans using 7T fMRI and observed reactions to blue, green, and red light.[19]

The significant role of light to the mammalian clock prompted Meijer to investigate the effects of high nocturnal levels of light, termed 'light pollution'. This led to a series of both laboratory and field studies,[5][27][28] (28 nominated for the Igg Nobel Prize) as well as a nationwide program to reduce light emission at night to preserve biodiversity.[1]

Meijer discovered that next to light, behavioral activity has a direct influence on the electrical activity of clock cells. [21][24][23]

Other research lines include the effects of clock disturbances of human health, including aging,[29] depression,[30][31] ADHD,[32] and cancer-related fatigue,[33][34] as well as research on small clock enhancing molecules.[35] Complexity approaches are applied to further understand the mutual interaction between the clock, brain, and behavior, leading to the conclusion that a continuous two-way information flow underlies the function of both the mammalian clock and behavior.

Awards and recognitions

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  • 2021: Member of Academia Europaea[36]
  • 2020: Dutch National Research Agenda Grant of 10.2 million euros– “BioClock Consortium”.[37] www.bioclockconsortium.org
  • 2020: “Ambassador of the Night” Initiative of the Dutch Nature and Environment Federation.
  • 2019: European Advanced Research Grant of 2.2 million euros, ERC: “The circadian clock in day-active species: preserving our health in modern society”[38]
  • 2016: Aschoff and Honma Prize in Biological Rhythm Research (International Selection Committee, chaired by Dr. Takao Kondo)[2]
  • 2015: C.U Ariens Kappers Award from the Netherlands Society for the advancement of Sciences, Medicine, and surgery- 2015[39]
  • 2015: Board member, National Research Agenda (NWO) Complexity cluster; successfully raised 19.5 million euros on Dutch Complexity Research[40]
  • 2014–Present: Member of the Royal Dutch Society of Sciences.[41]
  • 1999: ‘Best teacher’ award for the period 1994-1999 of the study “BioPharmaceutical Sciences” at Leiden University.[42]
  • 1993: “Aschoff’s Rule, a prize for eminent contributions in Chronobiology supporting the interdisciplinary spirit of the field” from Prof. J. Hall (noble prize winner).[43]
  • 1989: Fellowship of the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences.[41]

References

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  1. ^ a b "BioClock Project | De invloed van licht op onze biologische klok". BioClock (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  2. ^ a b "Aschoff-Honma Prize Winners". ahmf (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-04-21.
  3. ^ a b c d "Curriculum vitae". Johanna H Meijer (in Dutch). Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  4. ^ Daan S, Rusak B. In Memoriam: GERARD ADRIAAN GROOS (4 July 1951-25 March 1985). Journal of Biological Rhythms. 1986;1(1):iii-iii. doi:10.1177/074873048600100102
  5. ^ a b Olde Engberink, Anneke H. O.; Huisman, Job; Michel, Stephan; Meijer, Johanna H. (2020-08-31). "Brief light exposure at dawn and dusk can encode day-length in the neuronal network of the mammalian circadian pacemaker". The FASEB Journal. 34 (10): 13685–13695. doi:10.1096/fj.202001133rr. hdl:1887/3182966. ISSN 0892-6638. PMID 32869393.
  6. ^ a b VanderLeest, Henk Tjebbe; Houben, Thijs; Michel, Stephan; Deboer, Tom; Albus, Henk; Vansteensel, Mariska J.; Block, Gene D.; Meijer, Johanna H. (March 2007). "Seasonal Encoding by the Circadian Pacemaker of the SCN". Current Biology. 17 (5): 468–473. Bibcode:2007CBio...17..468V. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2007.01.048. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 17320387.
  7. ^ Rohling, Jos; Wolters, Lex; Meijer, Johanna H. (August 2006). "Simulation of Day-Length Encoding in the SCN: From Single-Cell to Tissue-Level Organization". Journal of Biological Rhythms. 21 (4): 301–313. doi:10.1177/0748730406290317. ISSN 0748-7304. PMID 16864650.
  8. ^ Schwartz, William J.; Meijer, Johanna H. (September 2004). "Real-time imaging reveals spatiotemporal dynamics of cellular circadian clocks". Trends in Neurosciences. 27 (9): 513–516. doi:10.1016/j.tins.2004.06.016. ISSN 0166-2236. PMID 15331231.
  9. ^ a b Schaap, Jeroen; Albus, Henk; vanderLeest, Henk Tjebbe; Eilers, Paul H. C.; Détári, László; Meijer, Johanna H. (2003-12-23). "Heterogeneity of rhythmic suprachiasmatic nucleus neurons: Implications for circadian waveform and photoperiodic encoding". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 100 (26): 15994–15999. Bibcode:2003PNAS..10015994S. doi:10.1073/pnas.2436298100. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 307681. PMID 14671328.
  10. ^ a b Schoonderwoerd, Robin A.; de Torres Gutiérrez, Pablo; Blommers, Ruben; van Beurden, Anouk W.; Coenen, Tineke C. J. J.; Klett, Nathan J.; Michel, Stephan H.; Meijer, Johanna H. (August 2022). "Inhibitory responses to retinohypothalamic tract stimulation in the circadian clock of the diurnal rodent Rhabdomys pumilio". The FASEB Journal. 36 (8): e22415. doi:10.1096/fj.202200477R. ISSN 0892-6638. PMC 9544711. PMID 35867045.
  11. ^ a b Farajnia, Sahar; van Westering, Tirsa L. E.; Meijer, Johanna H.; Michel, Stephan (July 2014). "Seasonal induction of GABAergic excitation in the central mammalian clock". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 111 (26): 9627–9632. Bibcode:2014PNAS..111.9627F. doi:10.1073/pnas.1319820111. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 4084452. PMID 24979761.
  12. ^ a b Olde Engberink, A.H.O.; Meijer, J.H.; Michel, S. (August 2018). "Chloride cotransporter KCC2 is essential for GABAergic inhibition in the SCN". Neuropharmacology. 138: 80–86. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.05.023. hdl:1887/86400. PMID 29782876.
  13. ^ a b Albus, Henk; Vansteensel, Mariska J.; Michel, Stephan; Block, Gene D.; Meijer, Johanna H. (May 2005). "A GABAergic Mechanism Is Necessary for Coupling Dissociable Ventral and Dorsal Regional Oscillators within the Circadian Clock". Current Biology. 15 (10): 886–893. Bibcode:2005CBio...15..886A. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2005.03.051. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 15916945.
  14. ^ a b de Vries, Martinus J.; Treep, Jolande A.; de Pauw, Elmar S.D.; Meijer, Johanna H. (April 1994). "The effects of electrical stimulation of the optic nerves and anterior optic chiasm on the circadian activity rhythm of the Syrian hamster: involvement of excitatory amino acids". Brain Research. 642 (1–2): 206–212. doi:10.1016/0006-8993(94)90923-7. ISSN 0006-8993. PMID 8032882.
  15. ^ a b de Vries, Martinus J.; Cardozo, Bob Nunes; van der Want, Johannes; de Wolf, Anneke; Meijer, Johanna H. (May 1993). "Glutamate immunoreactivity in terminals of the retinohypothalamic tract of the brown Norwegian rat". Brain Research. 612 (1–2): 231–237. doi:10.1016/0006-8993(93)91665-f. ISSN 0006-8993. PMID 8101131.
  16. ^ a b c van Diepen, Hester C.; Schoonderwoerd, Robin A.; Ramkisoensing, Ashna; Janse, Jan A. M.; Hattar, Samer; Meijer, Johanna H. (June 2021). "Distinct contribution of cone photoreceptor subtypes to the mammalian biological clock". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 118 (22). Bibcode:2021PNAS..11824500V. doi:10.1073/pnas.2024500118. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 8179201. PMID 34050024.
  17. ^ a b c van Oosterhout, Floor; Fisher, Simon P.; van Diepen, Hester C.; Watson, Thomas S.; Houben, Thijs; VanderLeest, Henk Tjebbe; Thompson, Stewart; Peirson, Stuart N.; Foster, Russell G.; Meijer, Johanna H. (August 2012). "Ultraviolet Light Provides a Major Input to Non-Image-Forming Light Detection in Mice". Current Biology. 22 (15): 1397–1402. Bibcode:2012CBio...22.1397V. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2012.05.032. PMC 3414846. PMID 22771039.
  18. ^ a b c Diepen, Hester C.; Ramkisoensing, Ashna; Peirson, Stuart N.; Foster, Russell G.; Meijer, Johanna H. (2013-06-24). "Irradiance encoding in the suprachiasmatic nuclei by rod and cone photoreceptors". The FASEB Journal. 27 (10): 4204–4212. doi:10.1096/fj.13-233098. ISSN 0892-6638. PMID 23796782.
  19. ^ a b Schoonderwoerd, Robin A.; de Rover, Mischa; Janse, Jan A. M.; Hirschler, Lydiane; Willemse, Channa R.; Scholten, Leonie; Klop, Ilse; van Berloo, Sander; van Osch, Matthias J. P.; Swaab, Dick F.; Meijer, Johanna H. (2022-03-29). "The photobiology of the human circadian clock". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 119 (13): e2118803119. Bibcode:2022PNAS..11918803S. doi:10.1073/pnas.2118803119. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 9060497. PMID 35312355.
  20. ^ Meijer, Johanna H.; de Rover, Mischa; de Torres Gutiérrez, Pablo; Swaab, Dick F.; van Osch, Matthias J. P.; Schoonderwoerd, Robin A. (2022-12-06). "Reply to Sharifpour et al.: Light response measurement of the human SCN by 7T fMRI". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 119 (49): e2215410119. Bibcode:2022PNAS..11915410M. doi:10.1073/pnas.2215410119. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 9894227. PMID 36445962.
  21. ^ a b van Oosterhout, Floor; Lucassen, Eliane A.; Houben, Thijs; vanderLeest, Henk Tjebbe; Antle, Michael C.; Meijer, Johanna H. (2012-06-28). "Amplitude of the SCN Clock Enhanced by the Behavioral Activity Rhythm". PLOS ONE. 7 (6): e39693. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...739693V. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0039693. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3386260. PMID 22761873.
  22. ^ Gu, Changgui; Coomans, Claudia P.; Hu, Kun; Scheer, Frank A. J. L.; Stanley, H. Eugene; Meijer, Johanna H. (2015-02-09). "Lack of exercise leads to significant and reversible loss of scale invariance in both aged and young mice". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112 (8): 2320–2324. Bibcode:2015PNAS..112.2320G. doi:10.1073/pnas.1424706112. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 4345576. PMID 25675516.
  23. ^ a b Houben, Thijs; Coomans, Claudia P.; Meijer, Johanna H. (2014-10-08). "Regulation of Circadian and Acute Activity Levels by the Murine Suprachiasmatic Nuclei". PLOS ONE. 9 (10): e110172. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...9k0172H. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0110172. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 4190325. PMID 25295522.
  24. ^ a b Schaap, Jeroen; Meijer, Johanna H. (May 2001). "Opposing effects of behavioural activity and light on neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus". European Journal of Neuroscience. 13 (10): 1955–1962. doi:10.1046/j.0953-816x.2001.01561.x. ISSN 0953-816X. PMID 11403689.
  25. ^ Wang Y, van der Zanden SY, van Leerdam S, Tersteeg MMH, Kastelein A., Michel S., Neefjes J., Meijer JH, Deboer T. (2022) Induction of Fatigue by Specific Anthracycline Cancer Drugs through Disruption of the Circadian Pacemaker. Cancers (Basel). May 13;14(10):2421. doi: 10.3390/cancers14102421
  26. ^ Meijer, J.H., Watanabe, K., Schaap, J., Albus, H. and L. Détári, Light responsiveness of the suprachiasmatic nucleus: long‑term multiunit and single‑unit recordings in freely moving rats, J. Neurosci.18 (1998) 9078‑9087.
  27. ^ Robbers, Y., Koster, E. A., Krijbolder, D. I., Ruijs, A., van Berloo, S., & Meijer, J. H.(2015). Temporal behaviour profiles of Mus musculus  in nature are affected by population activity. Physiology & Behavior. 139:351-360. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.11.020. IF 3.150
  28. ^ Meijer, JH and Robbers, Y, Wheel running in the wild, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2014, 281(1786). doi: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0210. IF 5.7
  29. ^ Farajnia, S., Michel, S., Deboer, T., Houben, T., vanderLeest, H.T., Rohling, J.H.T., Ramkisoensing, A., Yasenkov, R., and Meijer, J.H., Evidence for neuronal desynchrony in the aged SCN clock, J. Neurosci, 32 (2012) 5891-5899. IF 7.115.
  30. ^ Hampp, G., Ripperger, J.A., Houben, T., Schmutz, I., Blex, C., Perreau-Lenz, S., Brunk, I., Spanagel, R., Ahnert-Hilger, G., Meijer, J.H. and Albrecht, U., Regulation of the murine Monoamine Oxidase A Gene by Circadian Clock Components Implies Clock Influence on Mood, Current Biol., 18 (2008) 678-83. IF 10.777
  31. ^ Wang Y., Melgers M., Meijer JH., deBoer T. Comparison of sleep deprivation and a low dose of ketamine on sleep and the electroencephalogram in Brown Norway rats. Journal of Sleep Research 2023;e13863
  32. ^ Mendoza J, van Diepen HC, Pereira RR, MeijerJH (2018). Time-shifting effects of methylphenidate on daily rhythms in the diurnal rodent Arvicanthis ansorgei. Psychopharmacology (Berl). doi: 10.1007/s00213-018-4928-2.
  33. ^ Wang Y, van Beurden AW, Tersteeg MMH, Michel S, Kastelein A, Neefjes J, Rohling JHT, Meijer JH, Deboer T. Internal circadian misallignment in a mouse model of chemotherapy induced fatigue. Brain Behav Immun. 2024 Jan;115:588-599. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.11.020. Epub 2023 Nov 19. PMID: 37984623.
  34. ^ Wang Y, van der Zanden SY, van Leerdam S, Tersteeg MMH, Kastelein A., Michel S., Neefjes J., Meijer JH, Deboer T. (2022) Induction of Fatigue by Specific Anthracycline Cancer Drugs through Disruption of the Circadian Pacemaker. Cancers (Basel). May 13;14(10):2421. doi: 10.3390/cancers14102421
  35. ^ van Beurden AW, Tersteeg MMH, Michel S, van Veldhoven JPD, IJzerman AP, Rohling JHT, Meijer JH. Small-molecule CEM3 strengthens single-cell oscillators in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. FASEB J. 2024 Jan;38(1):e23348. doi: 10.1096/fj.202300597RR. PMID: 38084798.
  36. ^ "Academy of Europe: Meijer Johanna". www.ae-info.org. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
  37. ^ "A multi-million grant to keep the biological clock healthy". Leiden University. 25 November 2020. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
  38. ^ "The circadian clock in day-active species: preserving our health in modern society | DiurnalHealth Project | Results | H2020". CORDIS | European Commission. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
  39. ^ "Home". Johanna H Meijer (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-07-09.
  40. ^ Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. (2014). Grip on complexity (B. Vermeer, Ed.). Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). https://www.johannahmeijer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/GriponComplexityNWO2014.pdf
  41. ^ a b LUMC. "Joke Meijer | LUMC". www.lumc.nl. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
  42. ^ "Curriculum vitae". Johanna H Meijer (in Dutch). Retrieved 2024-07-09.
  43. ^ "Prize Winners of Aschoff's Rule". www.clocktool.org. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
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