Ukr.Biochem.J. 2025; Volume 97, Issue 3, May-Jun, pp. 109-116

doi: https://doi.org/10.15407/ubj97.03.109

How the brain makes sense of the world: May-Britt Moser and the 2014 Nobel prize in Physiology or Medicine

25.06.2025   Uncategorized   No comments

T. V. Danylova1*, S. V. Komisarenko2

1Institute for Social and Political Psychology, National Academy
of Educational Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv;
*e-mail: danilova_tv@ukr.net;
2Palladin Institute of Biochemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv

Received: 21 April 2025; Revised: 27 May 2025;
Accepted: 11 June 2025; Available on-line: 07 July 2025

For hundreds of years, thinkers have tried to unravel the mystery of the brain and the ways the brain makes sense of the world. In recent decades, prominent neuroscientists have come close to solving this phenomenon and have provided crucial information about the role of the brain in complex behavior. One of them is May-Britt Moser, a Norwegian psychologist and neuroscientist known for her work on spatial orientation and spatial memory specifically and cognition more generally and a co-recipient of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This paper aims to outline the main stages of her scientific activities.

Keywords: , , , , , ,

References:

  1. Glick D, Darby G, Marmodoro A. The Foundation of Reality: Fundamentality, Space, and Time. Oxford University Press, 2020. 288 p.
  2. Kant I. Transcendental Aesthetic. Regime of access: https://grattoncourses.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/cpr-transcendental-aesthetic.pdf. (Accessed March 9, 2025).
  3. Palmer L, Lynch G. Neuroscience. A Kantian view of space. Science. 2010;328(5985):1487-1488. PubMed, CrossRef
  4. Danylova TV, Komisarenko SV. Honor the past while celebrating the present: Tu Youyou and the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Ukr Biochem J. 2025;97(2):105-113. CrossRef
  5. Laban-Sharman A, Deveci M, Laban-Sharman R. Systematic review to explore the effect of yoga on anxiety in adults. Ment Health Glob Challenges J.  2023;6(1):39-46. CrossRef
  6. Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2014. The Nobel Prize. 2014. Regime of access: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2014/summary/. (Accessed March 9, 2025).
  7. May-Britt Moser. Biographical. The Nobel Prize. 2014. Regime of access: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2014/may-britt-moser/biographical/. (Accessed March 9, 2025).
  8. May-Britt Moser. Facts. 2014. The Nobel Prize. Regime of access: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2014/may-britt-moser/facts/ (Accessed March 18, 2025)
  9. Danylova TV, Komisarenko SV. It is time to pay tribute to women in science: the women who won the Nobel prizes in Chemistry and Physiology or Medicine. Ukr Biochem J. 2024;96(3):122-142. CrossRef
  10. Gil M. Nobel Prize Winner Discusses Research, Motivations and Maintaining a Work-Life Balance. 2024. Neuroscience News & Research. Technology Networks. https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/articles/nobel-prize-winner-discusses-spatial-location-and-memory-research-motivations-and-maintaining-a-386045.
  11. May-Britt Moser. STARMUS. 2025. Regime of access: https://www.starmus.com/person/may-britt-moser. (Accessed March 18, 2025).
  12. Moser E, Moser MB, Andersen P. Spatial learning impairment parallels the magnitude of dorsal hippocampal lesions, but is hardly present following ventral lesions. J Neurosci. 1993;13(9):3916-3925. PubMed, PubMed, CrossRef
  13. Jakobsen S.E. Nobel laureate May-Britt Moser: “The Norwegian stance on equality gave me a unique opportunity”. The Research Council of Norway. partner.sciencenorway.no. 16 October, 2020. Regime of access: https://partner.sciencenorway.no/biology-brain-nobel-prize-winners/nobel-laureate-may-britt-moserthe-norwegian-stance-on-equality-gave-me-a-unique-opportunity/1756519. (Accessed March 18, 2025).
  14. Shah V. On Gender & Science – A Conversation with May-Britt Moser, Nobel Prize Winning Scientist. October 19, 2023. Thought Economics. Regime of access: https://thoughteconomics.com/may-britt-moser-interview. (Accessed March 18, 2025).
  15. Danylova T, Ilchuk S, Storozhuk S, Poperechna G, Hoian I, Kryvda N, Matviienko I. “Best Before”: On Women, Ageism, and Mental Health. Ment Health Glob Challenges J. 2024;7(1):81-94. CrossRef
  16. Moser MB, Trommald M, Andersen P. An increase in dendritic spine density on hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells following spatial learning in adult rats suggests the formation of new synapses. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1994;91(26):12673-12675. PubMed, PubMed, CrossRef
  17. Moser MB, Moser EI, Forrest E, Andersen P, Morris RG. Spatial learning with a minislab in the dorsal hippocampus. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1995;92(21):9697-9701. PubMed, PubMed, CrossRef
  18. Chhita N. May, the neuroscientist who reconstructed the map of our brain. IBSA. 2020. Regime of access: https://www.ibsafoundation.org/en/blog/may-the-neuroscientist-who-reconstructed-the-map-of-our-brain. (Accessed March 18, 2025).
  19. Beritoff (Beritashvili) JS. Neural Mechanisms of Higher Vertebrate Behavior. W.T. Liberson (Trans. and Ed.). Boston, Little Brown & Co., 1965. 384 p.
  20. Beritashvili IS. Vertebrate Memory: Characteristics and Origin. J.S. Barlow (Trans.). NY: Plenum Press, 1971. 143 p.
  21. Tsagareli MG. Pioneering Studies of Spatial Behavior in Animals: Ivane Beritashvili and Edward Tolman. Psychol Res. 2022;12(8):563-574. CrossRef
  22. Tolman EC. Cognitive maps in rats and men. Psychol Rev. 1948;55(4):189-208. PubMed, CrossRef
  23. Nadel L. Cognitive maps. In: D. Waller & L. Nadel (Eds.). Handbook of spatial cognition. American Psychological Association, 2013. P. 155-171. CrossRef
  24. O’Keefe J, Dostrovsky J. The hippocampus as a spatial map. Preliminary evidence from unit activity in the freely-moving rat. Brain Res. 1971;34(1):171-175. PubMed, CrossRef
  25. Nobel laureates Moser and Moser. Timeline: From PhD to Nobel Prize. NTNU. Regime of access: https://www.ntnu.edu/nobelprize2014/the-moser-timeline. (Accessed March 18, 2025).
  26. Rogers K. May-Britt Moser. Encyclopedia Britannica. Regime of access: https://www.britannica.com/biography/May-Britt-Moser. (Accessed March 18, 2025).
  27. Hafting T, Fyhn M, Molden S, Moser MB, Moser EI. Microstructure of a spatial map in the entorhinal cortex. Nature. 2005;436(7052):801-806. PubMed, CrossRef
  28. Sargolini F, Fyhn M, Hafting T, McNaughton BL, Witter MP, Moser MB, Moser EI. Conjunctive representation of position, direction, and velocity in entorhinal cortex. Science. 2006;312(5774):758-762. PubMed, CrossRef
  29. Solstad T, Boccara CN, Kropff E, Moser MB, Moser EI. Representation of geometric borders in the entorhinal cortex. Science. 2008;322(5909):1865-1868. PubMed, CrossRef
  30. Stein R. ‘Inner GPS’ Discovery Wins Nobel Prize In Medicine. October 6, 2014. npr. Regime of access: https://www.npr.org/2014/10/06/354001643/nobel-prize-season-begins-on-monday. (Accessed March 18, 2025).
  31. May-Britt Moser. Women Who Changed Science. The Nobel Prize. Regime of access: https://www.nobelprize.org/womenwhochangedscience/stories/may-britt-moser?keyword=brain. (Accessed March 18, 2025).
  32. Centre for Algorithms in the Cortex. Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience. Regime of access: https://www.ntnu.edu/kavli/centre-for-algorithms-in-the-cortex#:~:text=Centre%20for%20Algorithms%20in%20the%20Cortex%20(CAC)%20is%20a%20Centre,cortex%20uses%20for%20cognitive%20functions. (Accessed March 18, 2025).
  33. New Centre of Excellence to the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience. 2022. NTNU. Regime of access: https://nyheter.ntnu.no/en/new-centre-of-excellence-to-the-kavli-institute-for-systems-neuroscience. (Accessed March 18, 2025).
  34. May-Britt Moser. Photo Gallery. 2014. The Nobel Prize. Regime of access: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2014/may-britt-moser/photo-gallery/. (Accessed March 18, 2025).
  35. Viegas J. Profile of May-Britt and Edvard Moser. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2022;119(32):e2210910119. PubMed, PubMed, CrossRef
  36. Novo A, Lobon F, de Marina HG, Romero S, Barranco F. Neuromorphic Perception and Navigation for Mobile Robots: A Review. ACM Computing Surveys. 2024;56(10):1-37. CrossRef
  37. Simkuns A, Saltanovs R, Ivanovs M, Kadikis R. Deep Learning-Emerged Grid Cells-Based Bio-Inspired Navigation in Robotics. Sensors (Basel). 2025;25(5):1576. PubMed, PubMed, CrossRef
  38.  Zeno PJ, Patel S, Sobh TM. Review of Neurobiologically Based Mobile Robot Navigation System Research Performed Since 2000. J Robotics. 2016;2016: 8637251. CrossRef
  39. May-Britt Moser. Academia Europaea. Regime of access: https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Moser_May-Britt. (Accessed March 18, 2025).
  40. Edvard et May-Britt Moser. 2006. Foundation Bettencourt Schueller. Regime of access: https://www.fondationbs.org/en/our-community/laureates-and-projects/edvard-et-may-britt-moser. (Accessed March 18, 2025).
  41. Edvard Moser, May-Britt Moser. 2023. UNITED24. Regime of access: https://u24.gov.ua/ambassador/edvard_may-britt_moser. (Accessed March 18, 2025).
Creative CommonsThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.