Leszek Kaczmarek, M.Sc. 1981, Warsaw University (Biochemistry/Molecular Biology); Ph.D. 1983, Cell Biology/Experimental Hematology (supervisor: W.Wiktor-Jedrzejczak); D.Sc. (Dr. hab.) 1988, Biology/Experimental Oncology. At the Nencki Institute since 1986; head of the laboratory since 1988; full professor since 1996; chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, 1997-2003; chair of the Scientific Council, 2007-2010.

Over 170 publications in international peer reviewed journals, cited over 5 700 times, H-index = 42 (source ISI). Major research achievements: explanation of c-Myc role in regulation of the cell cycle; discovery of the learning-related gene expression in the mammalian brain; revealing apoptotic component of excitotoxicity in the adult brain; discovery of specific role of cyclin D2 in the adult brain neurogenesis; discovery of involvement of matrix metalloproteinases in neuronal plasticity, learning and memory as well as neuropsychiatric disorders; revealing specific role of central amygdala in appetitive learning.

Supervisor of 28 PhDs. Principal investigator in over 40 domestic and international grants. including UE Framework Programmes (7 projects), ERA-NET Neuron, The Wellcome Trust, ICGEB, INSERM, NATO. Invited lecturer at more than 100 international and national meetings and congresses, including 10th European Neurochemistry Society Meeting (Jerusalem, 1994); 17th Annual Meeting of the European Neuroscience Association (Wien, 1994); XXXIII International Congress of Physiological Sciences (St. Petersburg, 1997); Congresses of International Society for Neurochemistry, ISN: Boston, 1997, Cancun 2007; Federation of European Biochemical Societies, FEBS Lisbon 2001, Warsaw 2004, Prague 2009; Federation of European Neuroscience Societies FENS 2006 (Vienna), Society for Neuroscientists of Africa, SONA, Nairobi 2001, Cape Town, 2005, Sharm-El-Sheikh, 2009; 13th Annual Australian Neuroscience Meeting, Adelaide 2003; plenary talks at Polish, Slovenian, Russian & Croatian Neuroscience Meetings. Over 200 seminar & other invited talks. More than twenty memberships of program committees or session chairs during the international scientific meetings, including Program Committees for ISN 1999 & 2005, FENS 2004 & 2008, FEBS 2004.

Major Distinctions: 2009: Polonia Restituta Officer Cross (by the President of the Republic of Poland); 2001: Elected member of Academia Europaea; 2000: FNP (Foundation for Polish Science) Prize; 2000: Elected member of EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization); 1998: Elected corresponding member of the Polish Academy of Sciences, PAS; 1998: Polonia Restituta Bachelor Cross. Konorski Award (by Polish Neuroscience Society and Committee for Neurobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences) for the best Polish publication in neuroscience in: 2004; 2006; 2008. Scientific Award of the Division of Biological Sciences, PAS in 1994 and 2009.

2001-2002: Visiting Senior Fulbright Scholar, Department of Neurobiology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 1994-1996, 1998: Visiting Professor, Dept. Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; 1987,1988,1990, 1992: Contract Professor, University of Catania, Italy. 1984-1986: Postdoc, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA (mentor: R. Baserga).

Active Participation in Professional Organizations: since 2010: member of the Council, National Center for Science, Poland; 2010-now: EMBO Council: member; 2010, 2011: Vice-President, European Molecular Biology Conference, EMBC; 2009-now: Section Editor “molecular neuroscience”, Neuroscience journal; . 2003-2007: Chair, Division for Biological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, PAS; ; 1999-2003 Chair, Committee for Neurobiology PAS; 2006-now: European Research Council, ERC: Member of the Neuroscience Starting Grants Panel; 2006-now: Academia Europaea: Member of the Medicine and Physiology Section; 2003-2007: EMBO: member of the Fellowship Committee; 2003-2005: International Brain Research Organization, IBRO: Member of the Executive Committee and Chair, Central and Eastern Europe Regional Committee; 1995-1999: International Society for Neurochemistry, ISN: Member of the Council; 1997-1999 Chair, Committee for Aid in Neurochemistry; 1995-1997: member of the Governing Board and Treasurer, Polish Neuroscience Society, 1997-1999 Vice-President; 1993-1995 chair, Committee for Scientific Policy, Polish Association for the Advancement of Science, 1995-1999 member of the Governing Board and Secretary;