Wolfgang Löscher

Wolfgang Löscher
Born (1949-10-03) October 3, 1949 (age 75)
Berlin, Germany
NationalityGerman
Alma materFree University of Berlin
AwardsAlfred Hauptmann Award from the Epilepsy Board of Trustees[1]
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of Veterinary Medicine Hannover
Websitewww.tiho-hannover.de/en/clinics-institutes/institutes/department-of-pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmacy/research/research-group-prof-loescher/group/

Wolfgang Löscher (born 3 October 1949, Berlin, Germany) is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany and also a member of the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.[2][3]

Education

Löscher graduated from the Free University of Berlin in 1974 with a degree in veterinary medicine, followed by his doctoral degree (Dr.med.vet.) at the same university.[4][5]

Research and career

Löscher did postdoctoral research work for five years particularly in neuropharmacology and toxicology in Germany and Denmark. His research interests include pharmacology of antiepileptic (antiseizure) drugs, the mechanisms of antiseizure drugs,[6] and the pathophysiology of temporal lobe epilepsy[7] with the aim to find new targets for treatment and also evaluated antiepileptic drugs for dogs.[8] While at FU Berlin, Löscher worked alongside Hans-Hasso Frey to pioneer neurochemical studies of antiepileptic drugs such as valproate on the synthesis and metabolism of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA.[9] After his move to Hannover, models, and mechanisms of resistance to antiepileptic drugs developed into one of the major research areas of Löscher group.[10]

During the initial days of his career, he worked as a visiting scientist at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, USA.[11] During his tenure at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, he held different positions including Professor and Director of the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy.[12][13][14] In 2019, he retired from the chair position to become a research professor and head of an epilepsy research group at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover. Since 2002, Löscher has been Head of the Center of Systems Neuroscience (ZSN) in Hannover.[15]

Awards and honors

In 1980, Löscher received the Alfred Hauptmann Award by the Epilepsy Board of Trustees.[16] Additional awards include the Magyar-Kossa Memorial Medal and the Ambassador for Epilepsy research Award of the International League against epilepsy.[17][18]

He won a Walter Frei prize from the University of Zurich and European Epileptology Award from ILAE (International League Against Epilepsy) in the year 2014.[19][20]

Publications

  • Löscher, Wolfgang; Schmidt, Dieter (1988-05-01). "Which animal models should be used in the search for new antiepileptic drugs? A proposal based on experimental and clinical considerations". Epilepsy Research. 2 (3): 145–181. doi:10.1016/0920-1211(88)90054-X. ISSN 0920-1211. PMID 3058469. S2CID 12643651.
  • Löscher, Wolfgang; Potschka, Heidrun (2005-08-01). "Drug resistance in brain diseases and the role of drug efflux transporters". Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 6 (8): 591–602. doi:10.1038/nrn1728. ISSN 1471-0048. PMID 16025095. S2CID 20356482.
  • Löscher, Wolfgang; Potschka, Heidrun (2005-01-01). "Blood-brain barrier active efflux transporters: ATP-binding cassette gene family". NeuroRx. 2 (1): 86–98. doi:10.1602/neurorx.2.1.86. ISSN 1545-5343. PMC 539326. PMID 15717060.
  • Löscher, Wolfgang (2011-06-01). "Critical review of current animal models of seizures and epilepsy used in the discovery and development of new antiepileptic drugs". Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy. 20 (5): 359–368. doi:10.1016/j.seizure.2011.01.003. ISSN 1059-1311. PMID 21292505.
  • Löscher, Wolfgang; Potschka, Heidrun (2005-05-01). "Role of drug efflux transporters in the brain for drug disposition and treatment of brain diseases". Progress in Neurobiology. 76 (1): 22–76. doi:10.1016/j.pneurobio.2005.04.006. ISSN 0301-0082. PMID 16011870. S2CID 38977116.

References

  1. ^ "Wolfgang Loscher". www.epi.ch.
  2. ^ "TiHo Hannover - Department of Pharmacology: Research". www.tiho-hannover.de. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  3. ^ "Mitglieder". www.leopoldina.org (in German). Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  4. ^ Löscher, Wolfgang (2011-07-13), "Animal models of seizures and epilepsy", The Biomedical & Life Sciences Collection (7): e1002987, doi:10.69645/CEEK3533, retrieved 2020-02-01
  5. ^ "Wolfgang Löscher | F1000 Faculty Member | F1000Prime". f1000.com. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  6. ^ Rogawski, Michael A.; Löscher, Wolfgang; Rho, Jong M. (May 2016). "perspectivesinmedicine". Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine. 6 (5): a022780. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a022780. PMC 4852797. PMID 26801895.
  7. ^ Schidlitzki, Alina; Bascuñana, Pablo; Srivastava, Prashant K.; Welzel, Lisa; Twele, Friederike; Töllner, Kathrin; Käufer, Christopher; Gericke, Birthe; Feleke, Rahel; Meier, Martin; Polyak, Andras (2020-02-01). "Proof-of-concept that network pharmacology is effective to modify development of acquired temporal lobe epilepsy". Neurobiology of Disease. 134: 104664. doi:10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104664. hdl:10044/1/76196. ISSN 0969-9961. PMID 31678583.
  8. ^ Gesell, Felix Kaspar; Hoppe, Sonja; Löscher, Wolfgang; Tipold, Andrea (2015-08-10). "Antiepileptic Drug Withdrawal in Dogs with Epilepsy". Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2: 23. doi:10.3389/fvets.2015.00023. ISSN 2297-1769. PMC 4672179. PMID 26664952.
  9. ^ Löscher, W.; Schmidt, D. (1980). "Increase of Human Plasma GABA by Sodium Valproate". Epilepsia. 21 (6): 611–615. doi:10.1111/j.1528-1157.1980.tb04314.x. ISSN 1528-1167. PMID 6777153. S2CID 40902041.
  10. ^ Schmidt, Dieter; Löscher, Wolfgang (2005). "Drug Resistance in Epilepsy: Putative Neurobiologic and Clinical Mechanisms". Epilepsia. 46 (6): 858–877. doi:10.1111/j.1528-1167.2005.54904.x. ISSN 1528-1167. PMID 15946327. S2CID 33055604.
  11. ^ "Mitglieder". www.leopoldina.org (in German). Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  12. ^ "DFG - GEPRIS - Professor Dr. Wolfgang Löscher". gepris.dfg.de. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  13. ^ "EPITARGET - Targets and biomarkers for antiepileptogenesis". www.epitarget.eu. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  14. ^ "Dr. Wolfgang Löscher". HSTalks. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  15. ^ "EPITARGET - Targets and biomarkers for antiepileptogenesis". www.epitarget.eu. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  16. ^ "epi.ch".
  17. ^ "Mitglieder". www.leopoldina.org (in German). Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  18. ^ "Ambassador for Epilepsy Award - Wolfgang Loescher (2011) // International League Against Epilepsy". www.ilae.org. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  19. ^ "Wolfgang Löscher erhält Walter Frei-Preis 2013". VET-MAGAZIN.com (in German). May 2013. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  20. ^ "European Epileptology Award - Wolfgang Loescher (2014) // International League Against Epilepsy". www.ilae.org. Retrieved 2020-02-01.