Mark Mayer

Mark Lee Mayer is a scientist emeritus at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He is known for his research on glutamate receptor ion channels, which play a crucial role in brain excitatory synapses. Some of his major contributions include discovering the blockage of NMDA receptors by extracellular magnesium and their high calcium permeability. He has also conducted studies on the permeation and blockage of calcium-permeable AMPA and kainate receptors by cytoplasmic polyamines. Additionally, Mayer has conducted structural studies on ligand binding, allosteric modulation, and gating using X-ray diffraction and cryoelectron microscopy. He holds a BSc 1st class Hons in Pharmacology from the University of Bristol and a PhD in Neuropharmacology from the University of London. Mayer has also completed postdoctoral training in biophysics at the NIH and structural biology at Columbia University in New York.