Jennifer N. Bourne Prize in Neuronal and Synaptic Structure and Function

Yuuta Imoto, PhD (right), of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital was awarded the Jennifer N. Bourne Prize in 2024.

The Jennifer N. Bourne Prize in Neuronal and Synaptic Structure and Function, funded by Kristen M. Harris, recognizes a scientist for outstanding work that advances our understanding of synapses in neural circuits and connectomics at the nanometer scale. Awardees must be early-career tenure-track neuroscientists or non-tenure track research scientists at any stage of their career.

The prize may be awarded for discoveries made through visualization, reconstruction, measurement, and theoretical modeling of synaptic components that predict synapse efficacy in circuits. These may include new understanding of the roles of synaptic subcellular structures (e.g., ribosomes, mitochondria, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, vesicles, cell adhesions, etc.), perisynaptic glia, and other subcellular structures that support synapse function. In addition, major advances in relevant technologies involving sample preservation, imaging, reconstruction, and data storage and dissemination will be considered.

Recipients receive a $5,000 prize and complimentary registration, transportation (economy air or ground), and two nights hotel accommodations for the SfN annual meeting. The prize is presented at the SfN annual meeting.

For more information, please review the Awards and Prizes FAQs.

About Dr. Jennifer Bourne:

Dr. Jennifer N. Bourne was a beloved friend and colleague. She was an anatomist, electrophysiologist, and above all a passionate electron microscopist whose papers on structural plasticity at synapses are considered classics in the field. The serial electron microscopy volumes she imaged across the time course of long-term potentiation are broadly mined by scientists eager to understand synaptic plasticity in neural circuits. As the director of an electron microscopy core facility, Jennifer shared her expertise with researchers across the world and fostered the careers of neuroscientists.

Nomination Criteria & Materials

Nomination Criteria:

• Nominations must be made or endorsed by an SfN member.
• Nominees do not need to be SfN members.
• Self-nomination is not permitted.
• No person may nominate more than one candidate.
• Current SfN officers and councilors are ineligible for nomination.
• Due to the potential conflicts of interest, members of the selection committee may not be the nominees and they cannot serve as nominators nor write letters of recommendation. 

Nomination materials include the following:

• One nomination letter from an SfN member describing the importance of the nominee’s work relevant to synapses in neural circuits.
• One letter of support describing the importance of the nominee’s work for understanding synapses in neural circuits using tools at the nanometer scale. Note these can include light microscopy combined with ultrastructure.
• Current CV
• Two publications indicating the candidate’s specific role in the research.

Eligibility

The purpose of this prize is to foster the next generation of synapse scientists. Hence, the prize will be limited to pre-tenured faculty or persons in non-tenure track research positions at any stage of their career who have demonstrated relevant scientific contributions. Nominations of women and historically under-represented groups are strongly encouraged.

Past Awardees

• 2024: Yuuta Imoto, PhD
• 2023: Yusuke Hirabayashi, PhD
• 2022: Linnaea Ostroff, PhD
• 2021: Wei-Chung Allen Lee, PhD and Cordelia Imig, PhD