About Thomas C. Südhof
Thomas Christian Südhof (German pronunciation: [ˈtoːmas ˈzyːtˌhoːf]; born December 22, 1955), is a German-American biochemist and neuroscientist known for his research on the molecular mechanisms of synaptic transmission. He is the Avram Goldstein Professor at Stanford University and an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Südhof is known for discoveries relating to neurotransmitter release and synapse formation, including work on synaptotagmins as calcium sensors for exocytosis, the membrane fusion machinery composed of SNARE and SM proteins, active zone proteins such as Munc13 and RIMs, and trans-synaptic adhesion complexes including neurexins, neuroligins, and latrophilins. In 2013, Südhof shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with James Rothman and Randy Schekman for discoveries concerning the machinery regulating vesicle trafficking and neurotransmitter release. His research has focused on the molecular basis of synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity, and synapse formation. Through biochemical, molecular biological, and genetic approaches, Südhof and collaborators identified proteins involved in synaptic vesicle fusion and neurotransmitter release. His later work examined synaptic adhesion molecules, including neurexins, neuroligins and latrophilins, and their roles in synapse specification and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Südhof, James Rothman and Randy Schekman are the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureates for t.
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