Engert Receives Tenure in MCB

Harvard neurobiologist Florian Engert—known for his work on neural behavior in zebrafish—was awarded tenure in July in the department of molecular and cellular biology.

A member of faculty since 2002, Engert has dedicated his time at Harvard to a unique way of studying neural activity that allows the researcher to observe all neurons in a functioning brain.

“We look at how the brain processes sensory information—in our case, visual information—and what the brain does with that information in producing behavior,” Engert said. “The zebrafish are small enough that they fit into a high-powered microscope, so we can view the whole brain and see what the individual neurons are doing. We can see not only how the neurons are shaped, but how they function.”

According to Andre G. V. Valente, who has worked in the Engert lab for five years, the recently minted professor is known for his supportive, accessible and extraordinary personality. Valente added that Engert runs a “help desk” to answer students’ questions and assist them with programming.

“I think it’s very important and positive that Harvard give tenure to people like Florian, who do not have a ‘formal professor-like’ personality, but instead have the ability to get people together who truly enjoy science in a fun way, different from what you would normally expect,” Valente said.

Before working at Harvard, Engert was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Diego, and University of California, Berkeley, studying tadpole sensory processing.

“Professor Engert is a scientist of remarkable scope, having made important contributions to two distinct fields, visual system development and motor system function,” said Earth and Planetary Sciences Chair Jeremy Bloxham in a press release. “A highly creative researcher, his publications are consistently of the highest quality. He is also an outstanding teacher, a wonderful colleague, and a generous member of the neuroscience community.”

Graduate student Eva Naumann, who has been a teaching fellow in Engert’s MCB 105 class, said that he breaks down “hardcore science” to explain it in a novel, engaging way.

“He believes you should only do science if you enjoy it or not do it at all,” she said.

—Staff writer Huma N. Shah can be reached at hshah@fas.harvard.edu.