Gary Lewin elected new Leopoldina member

Congratulations to Gary Lewin on his election as a new member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina! The prestigious honor recognizes his scientific accomplishments over the span of his career.

Dr. Gary Lewin, Group Leader of the Molecular Physiology of Somatic Sensation lab at the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin and an ECN member, has been elected to the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, one of the highest scientific honors in the country.

Gary Lewin © Pablo Castagnola, Max Delbrück Center

Founded in 1652, the Leopoldina is the oldest scientific learned society in the world. It brings together outstanding researchers to provide independent advice to policymakers and society among other tasks. Election to membership recognizes his exceptional scientific achievement and his ongoing contribution to advancing knowledge.

Lewin is internationally recognized for his pioneering work on how the nervous system detects touch and pain. Over nearly three decades at the Max Delbrück Center, he has helped uncover the molecular mechanisms that enable sensory neurons to convert mechanical stimuli into electrical signals. His research has helped identify key proteins involved in touch perception and mechanosensation, including regulators of mechanosensitive ion channels in nerve cells.

© Pablo Castagnola, Max Delbrück Center

A second major focus of Lewin’s work has been the extraordinary biology of the naked mole-rat. His laboratory has demonstrated that these animals are insensitive to several forms of pain. His discoveries have provided important insights into pain pathways, sensory biology, and physiological resilience, with implications for developing new treatments for chronic pain and other diseases.

Lewin’s election highlights the broad impact of his research and places him among a distinguished community of Leopoldina scientists – which currently includes 1,700 members with 38 Nobel Prize laureates among them – whose work has shaped modern science and medicine.

Source: Max Delbrück Center