It is with deep sadness that we inform you about the passing of Professor N. Joan Abbott, among the most inspirational, dedicated and warm-hearted members that our brain barriers field has ever seen.
Joan’s career and life embodied the oft-quoted phrase ‘if [we see further now], it is by standing on the shoulders of giants’ (Newton, 1675), as she was a reliable resource for all relevant history in the field and a major advocate for remembering and citing the work of others. She also was clearly a ‘giant’ herself, someone whose work and deep insights will shape our research for decades to come.
Joan was most recently a Professor / Professor Emeritus of Neuroscience and Pharmaceutical Science at King’s College London (UK). She completed both her undergraduate and post-graduate training at Cambridge University, where she received a PhD on ‘The Blood-Brain Barrier’ in 1969. Joan went on to hold post-doctoral positions in the prestigious laboratories of Toshio Narahashi at Duke University and Hugh Davson at UCL. In 1971 Joan joined King’s College London as a Lecturer in Physiology, later becoming Professor of Neuroscience in 1999 and Director of the Center for Neuroscience Research. She continued her pioneering work at King’s at the Guy’s Hospital site.
Joan’s research interests combined studies on the physiology, pharmacology and toxicology of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in both health and disease. With this interdisciplinary approach, she made far-reaching contributions that shaped the direction of the brain barriers research community and insight into the biology of brain barriers. Joan’s research significantly advanced development of in vitro models of the BBB, deepened our understanding of the structure and the transport mechanisms at the BBB, and highlighted the role of cellular crosstalk within the neurovascular unit. Joan’s many other long term research interests included the physiology of brain interstitial fluid, the perivascular spaces, and comparative studies of the brain, interstitial spaces and the BBB, with a special focus on evolutionary aspects. She was also among the first to bring physiological considerations to the study of CNS drug delivery. Her influential reviews including ‘Astrocyte-Endothelial Interactions at the Blood-Brain Barrier’ (Abbott et al. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2006) and ‘Structure and Function of the Blood-Brain Barrier’ (Abbott et al. Neurobiology of Disease, 2010), each with over 4,000 citations, underscore the relevance of her research and her unique ability to explain complex concepts to a broad community.
Joan served for decades as a key organizer and undeniable lynchpin for our many CNS barriers meetings, known for her lexical knowledge and her deep and integrated understanding of brain physiology and biology. Her inspirational Keynotes educated the audience and triggered lively discussions that challenged the thinking of scientists of all ages. She encouraged our community to elevate our research to the next level of excellence by making everyone feel accepted and able to speak up. At our meetings, Joan always chose to sit in the first row, keenly following the talks while making meticulous notes in her beautiful script, and asking excellent and incisive questions. Her contributions encouraged the entire community to readily integrate novel findings and concepts in their research.
Importantly, Joan was the driving force in bringing people together in well moderated and fruitful discussions to debate controversial issues, thus welcoming non-BBB researchers into the community and stimulating interdisciplinary collaborations. Joan never failed to provide thoughtful feedback, guidance, and mentoring to nearly all our field’s researchers over decades, from the most junior students to the most established senior scientists. Indeed, one of Joan’s most impressive attributes was her boundless patience and willingness to speak with any scientist who expressed an interest in discussing their work with her. In this respect, she set an example for our entire field in how to be inclusive, collegial, and impactful.
As part of her mission to highlight the significance of the BBB as both an obstacle and an opportunity in treating brain diseases, Joan established the Blood-Brain Barrier Consortium. Colleagues from industry and clinical disciplines met twice a year for seminars, discussions, and guidance on specific challenges they encountered. This invaluable forum continued for over 20 years, led by Joan alongside her long-time collaborators, David Begley and Nacho Romero, until the pandemic in 2020.
Besides her many scientific achievements, Joan was always a powerful role model for women in science and a mentor for all junior scientists including many of us who followed in her footsteps. Her leadership, guidance, and mentorship will leave a lasting impact on many generations of brain barrier researchers. Joan will be deeply missed in our field.