Hubert Preissl (academic)

Hubert Preissl (Preißl)
Hubert Preissl (Preißl)
Born	Germany
Nationality	German
Alma mater	University of Tübingen, University of Regensburg, & Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
	Scientific career
Fields	Neuroimaging, Magnetoencephalography & Fetal Magnetoencephalography
Institutions	Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics University of Tübingen University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Helmholtz Munich
Thesis	(1994)
Doctoral advisor	Valentino Braitenberg
Website	https://preissl-lab.net/people/prof-dr-hubert-preissl/

Hubert Preissl (Preißl) is a German neuroscientist and Professor (W3) for Central Nervous Processes Related to Type 2 Diabetes at the Department for Pharmacy and Biochemistry (Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences), University of Tübingen in Germany. He is Head of the Division of "Metabolic Neuroimaging" at the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM), of the Helmholtz Diabetes Center, of the Helmholtz Center Munich at the University of Tübingen. He also holds an appointment in the Department of Internal Medicine IV at the University of Tübingen.

Education

Hubert Preissl earned his undergraduate degree (Diplom) in Physics from the University of Regensburg and the University of Tübingen in 1988. He then continued at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics and the University of Tübingen for his doctorate. Under the guidance of Valentino Braitenberg, Preissl earned his doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.) in Physics in 1994. He continued as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, under the supervision of Niels Birbaumer until 1997, when he became a tenured senior researcher at the Magnetoencephalography-Center, again at the University of Tübingen.

Research Interests

Prof. Preissl specializes in neuroimaging, particularly magnetoencephalography (MEG), and its applications to brain function. With a background in physics and neuroscience, he has been instrumental in advancing non-invasive neuroimaging techniques, which he applies to understanding fetal brain development, cognitive processes, and insulin action in the brain.

Preissl’s work has been central to exploring how the brain develops in utero, using MEG to monitor fetal neural activity and identify links between metabolic conditions, such as pre-diabetes, and cognitive function. His research has greatly contributed to knowledge on the neural mechanisms of cognition, brain health in metabolic disorders, and the autonomic nervous system in fetuses.

With over 150 peer-reviewed publications, Preissl's work is widely recognized in both academic and medical circles for its impact on understanding complex brain functions and early development. He has used non-invasive methods, such as magnetoencephalography (MEG), to investigate the following:

Insulin's Effects on Brain Dynamics: Preissl and colleagues showed that insulin affects human brain activity, but this effect is absent in obese individuals, suggesting that the brain can exhibit insulin resistance, similar to peripheral tissues in conditions like diabetes^[1]. This work highlights a connection between metabolic disorders and brain function and demonstrated that overweight individuals show a reduced cerebrocortical response to insulin.
Fetal Brain Development: His research revealed that the human fetal brain is not a blank slate (tabula rasa). In the last trimester of pregnancy, the fetal brain exhibits not only basic sensory processes but also signs of conscious processing, indicating advanced brain function before birth. Preissl and colleagues identified magnetoencephalographic signatures of conscious processing in the fetal brain^[2].
Sex Differences in Fetal Brain Development: Preissl’s work has also shown that fetal brain development follows sex-specific patterns. Using MEG, his team explored sex-specific developmental trajectories in brain dynamics^[3]. It demonstrated that male and female fetuses develop neural complexity differently in the third trimester, providing new insights into prenatal brain development.

These studies reflect Preissl's interdisciplinary focus on understanding how metabolic health and early brain development influence long-term cognitive and neural outcomes. Prof. Preissl's research stands out for its innovative use of neuroimaging techniques to explore fetal brain development and the impact of metabolic disorders like diabetes on cognitive function. His work has contributed to advancements in understanding how early brain activity shapes cognition and how chronic conditions can lead to cognitive decline.

Career

In 2000, Preissl moved to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and was later promoted to Associate Professor in the same department. In 2011, he returned to the University of Tübingen as a research group leader "Metabolic Neuroimaging" at the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases of the Helmholtz Munich at the University of Tübingen. In 2013, he was appointed as the Scientific Director of the fMEG (fetal magnetoencephalography) Center at the University of Tübingen. Also in 2013, he completed his (Habilitation) (Qualification for full professorship) in Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurosciences at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Tübingen under the guidance of Niels Birbaumer. In 2015, Preissl was appointed Professor (W2) for Central Nervous System Causes of Type 2 Diabetes in the Department for Pharmacy and Biochemistry at the University of Tübingen. In 2023, he was promoted to Full Professor (W3) for Central Nervous Processes Related to Type 2 Diabetes in the same department at the University of Tübingen.

Prof. Preissl is actively engaged in the academic community as a member of:

Faculty - International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for The Mechanisms of Mental Function and Dysfunction (MMFD)
Advisory Editor - Appetite
Associate Editor - Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Senior Editor - Journal of Neuroendocrinolgy
Member - The Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (https://www.ssib.org/web/)
Member - Deutschen Adipositas-Gesellschaft (DAG)
Member - The Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM)
Member - The British Society for Neuroendocrinology (BSN)

Awards

To be completed:

External Links

References

^ Tschritter, Otto; Preissl, Hubert; Hennige, Anita M.; Stumvoll, Michael; Porubska, Katarina; Frost, Rebekka; Marx, Hannah; Klösel, Benjamin; Lutzenberger, Werner; Birbaumer, Niels; Häring, Hans-Ulrich; Fritsche, Andreas (2006-08-08). "The cerebrocortical response to hyperinsulinemia is reduced in overweight humans: a magnetoencephalographic study". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 103 (32): 12103–12108. doi:10.1073/pnas.0604404103. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 1567704. PMID 16877540.
^ Moser, Julia; Schleger, Franziska; Weiss, Magdalene; Sippel, Katrin; Semeia, Lorenzo; Preissl, Hubert (2021-06). "Magnetoencephalographic signatures of conscious processing before birth". Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. 49: 100964. doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100964. ISSN 1878-9307. PMC 8163957. PMID 34023644. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
^ Frohlich, Joel; Moser, Julia; Sippel, Katrin; Mediano, Pedro A. M.; Preissl, Hubert; Gharabaghi, Alireza (2024-04). "Sex differences in prenatal development of neural complexity in the human brain". Nature Mental Health. 2 (4): 401–416. doi:10.1038/s44220-024-00206-4. ISSN 2731-6076. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

Draft Area

He is known for his research in neuroimaging, particularly magnetoencephalography (MEG). His interdisciplinary training in both physics and neuroscience laid the foundation for his later research in neuroimaging and brain function. He has been a key figure in the development of advanced neuroimaging techniques. His work has significantly contributed to the understanding of brain function, with particular emphasis on fetal brain development and the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive processes. Preissl's research focuses on understanding the human brain using advanced imaging techniques such as magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG). One of his most prominent areas of study is the development of the fetal brain, which he has explored using MEG to monitor fetal neural activity in utero. He has been a key figure in the development of advanced neuroimaging techniques. His expertise in MEG, a non-invasive method of measuring the magnetic fields generated by neural activity, has been widely recognized in both national and international academic communities. His research on fetal brain activity and the link between diabetes and brain health has received widespread attention from both the academic and medical communities. His work has significantly contributed to the understanding of brain function, with particular emphasis on fetal brain development and the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive processes.

Prof. Preissl has authored or co-authored over 150 peer-reviewed research papers and book chapters. He has investigated the structural and functional changes of the brain in pre-diabetics, the action of insulin in the brain, and the functional brain development and the autonomic nervous system in human fetuses using a non-invasive method. Hubert Preissl's research has explored several key areas of brain function, particularly in relation to pre-diabetes, insulin action in the brain, and fetal brain development. He has used non-invasive methods, such as magnetoencephalography (MEG), to investigate the following:

[1] Tschritter, Otto; Preissl, Hubert; Hennige, Anita M.; Stumvoll, Michael; Porubska, Katarina; Frost, Rebekka; Marx, Hannah; Klösel, Benjamin; Lutzenberger, Werner; Birbaumer, Niels; Häring, Hans-Ulrich; Fritsche, Andreas (2006-08-08). "The cerebrocortical response to hyperinsulinemia is reduced in overweight humans: a magnetoencephalographic study". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 103 (32): 12103–12108. doi:10.1073/pnas.0604404103. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 1567704. PMID 16877540.

[2] Moser, Julia; Schleger, Franziska; Weiss, Magdalene; Sippel, Katrin; Semeia, Lorenzo; Preissl, Hubert (2021-06). "Magnetoencephalographic signatures of conscious processing before birth". Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. 49: 100964. doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100964. ISSN 1878-9307. PMC 8163957. PMID 34023644. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

[3] Frohlich, Joel; Moser, Julia; Sippel, Katrin; Mediano, Pedro A. M.; Preissl, Hubert; Gharabaghi, Alireza (2024-04). "Sex differences in prenatal development of neural complexity in the human brain". Nature Mental Health. 2 (4): 401–416. doi:10.1038/s44220-024-00206-4. ISSN 2731-6076. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

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