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Larry Swanson
Milo Don and Lucille Appleman Professor of Biological Sciences and Professor of Biological Sciences, Neurology and Psychology
Contact Information
Office: HNB 428
Phone: (213)740-5892
E-mail:
lswanson@usc.edu
LINKS
Curriculum Vitae
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Biographical Sketch
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Dr. Swanson earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Pomona College and a PhD in neurobiology from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Following postdoctoral work with W.M. Cowan (St. Louis), R. Levi-Montalcini (St. Louis), W. Harkmark (Bergen), and H.G.J.M Kuypers (Rotterdam) he spent 10 years at the Salk Institute in Ja Lolla before moving to the University of Southern California, where he became the Milo Don and Lucille Appleman Professor of Biological Sciences in 1995. Dr. Swanson’s laboratory is interested in discovering the identity and organization of brain systems that control the basic drives and emotions, using experimental biological and behavioral approaches in animals. Swanson and his colleagues have characterized a behavior control column in the upper brainstem that controls the basic appetites (hunger and thirst), defensive behaviors (“fight-or-flight” responses), and reproductive behaviors (sexual and parental) assuring survival of the species. This system coordinates behavioral, hormonal, and visceral responses appropriate for specific behaviors and is controlled by reflex inputs and by voluntary signals from the cerebral hemispheres. These results are based on the discovery of several thousand new brain connections with experimental neuroanatomical pathway tracing methods, as well as other molecular, cellular, behavioral, and neuroinformatics approaches. This work has been published in over 250 research articles and a number of books. Dr. Swanson has published comprehensive atlases of the adult rat brain (now in its third edition), and developing rat brain, and has edited two volumes of the standard Handbook of Chemical Neuroanatomy. His 2003 Oxford University Press book, Brain Architecture: Understanding the Basic Plan, presented a new 4-component model for the basic wiring diagram of the nervous system, and has been widely acclaimed. In addition, he and his wife Neely have translated three major works by the founder of modern neuroscience, Santiago Ramón y Cajal. Dr. Swanson has been recognized for his research in several ways. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2003, received a Doctor of Laws degree (honoris causa) from Montreal’s Concordia University in 2003, and was awarded the USC Associates Award for Research in 2005. He has received two separate Senator Jacob Javits Neuroscience Investigator Awards from the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, and was among the 100 most cited scientists of the 1980s (one of the two most cited neuroscientists). He has served on the editorial boards of 11 scientific journals and has delivered many prestigious lectures, including the Swammerdam Lecture (Amsterdam, 1988), Olszewski Lecture (Montréal, 1989), McKnight Foundation President’s Lecture (2004), and Barr Lecture (London, Ontario, 2006). Dr. Swanson has served on an NIH Study Section (Neurology B, 1981-5) and the NIMH Board of Scientific Counselors (2006-present), was the Secretary of the Society for Neuroscience (1998-2000), and was President of the Cajal Club (2004-2006). Finally, at USC Dr. Swanson has served on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee (1989-90), was founding coordinator of the Neuroscience Graduate Program (1997-2004), was Dean of Research in the College (1998-2000), was Director of the interdisciplinary NIBS-Neuroscience Program (2001-2004), and was Chair of the Provost’s Neuroscience Advisory Group (2001-2006).
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Education
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 B.A. Chemistry, Pomona College, 1/1968
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Ph.D. Neurobiology, Washington University, 1/1972
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Academic Appointment, Affiliation, and Employment History
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Tenure Track Appointments
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Milo Don and Lucille Appleman Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, 01/01/1995-
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Professor, Departments of Biological Sciences, Psychology and Neurology, University of Southern California, 01/01/1990-
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Senior Member, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 07/01/1980-06/01/1990
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Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, La Jolla, California, 01/01/1985-01/01/1990
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Assistant Professor of Neurobiology, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, 01/01/1979-01/01/1980
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Research Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University, St. Louis, 01/01/1976-01/01/1979
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Research Associate, Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, 01/01/1974-01/01/1976
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Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Anatomy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, 01/01/1972-01/01/1974
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Non-Tenure Track Appointments
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Adjunct Professor from Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, 1982-1989
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Visiting and Temporary Appointments
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Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 1979
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Visiting Associate Professor, Institute of Anatomy, University of Bergen, Norway, 1978
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PostDoctoral Appointments
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Postdoctoral Fellow/Research Associate, Washington University Department of Biology, 1974-1976
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Postdoctoral Fellow, Washington University School of Medicine, 1972-1974
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Description of Research
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Summary Statement of Research Interests
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Since graduate school Dr. Swanson has been interested in clarifying the organization of brain systems that mediate the expression of motivated and emotional behaviors. His experimental research has followed two main paths. First, his group has undertaken a high resolution structural analysis of central nervous system network architecture. This work has generated a new global model of hypothalamic organization, has clarified the organization and neurotransmitter specificity of brainstem reflex inputs to the hypothalamus, and is currently focussing on a new model of cerebral hemisphere inputs to the hypothalamus that mediate the voluntary control of motivated behaviors common to all animals (ingestive, reproductive, and defensive). Beginning in the early 1980s Swanson's group has characterized functionally relevant changes in gene expression patterns restricted to neural networks they have identified. Most of this work involves adrenal and gonadal steroid hormone effects on neuropeptide gene expression patterns in circuits controlling ingestive and reproductive behavior, and in circuits controlling stress responses generally. Two interrelated concepts have emerged—the biochemical switching of information flow through anatomically fixed networks, and the polytransmitter hypothesis (at some stage of the life cycle, all neurons use glutamate or GABA, along with a mixture of other neurotransmitters). Because motivated behavior utilizes the entire nervous system, Swanson has also carried out extensive scholarly research on the fundamental plan of the brain. Swanson has produced detailed atlases of developing and adult rat brain architecture, accompanied by a systematic, fully documented taxonomy of parts. They were the first complete computer graphics atlases of the brain, and have been used to develop databases of spatial neuroanatomical information, as well as prototype three-dimensional, vector-based computer graphics models of the brain.
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Research Keywords
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hunger and thirst, limbic system, motivation, structural neuroscience
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Funded Research
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Contracts and Grants Awarded
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Connections Of The Limbic System And Hypothalamus (Nat Inst of Neurological Disorders, Stroke (NINDS)), Swanson, Larry W., $1,078,885, 06/01/2007-05/31/2009
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A Mature Brain Architecture Knowledge Management System (National Institutes of Health), Swanson, Larry W., A. W. Toga, $314,000, 05/01/2007-05/31/2008
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Connections of the limbic system and hypothalamus (NIH/NINDS), Larry W. Swanson, $366,657, 06/01/2006-05/31/2007
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Connections of the limbic system and hypothalamus (NIH/NINDS), L.W. Swanson, $308,750, 06/01/2005-05/31/2006
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A mature brain architecture knowledge management system (NIH/NINDS/NIMH/NIBIB/NLM), L.W. Swanson, A. W. Toga, $346,025, 05/01/2005-04/30/2006
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Connections of the limbic system and hypothalamus (NIH/NINDS), L.W. Swanson, $308,750, 06/01/2004-05/31/2005
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Knowledge management of the neuroscientific literature (NIH/NLM), G.A.P.C Burns, Dr. Burns is a member of the Swanson lab and occupies space in the Swanson lab., $203,125, 06/01/2004-05/31/2005
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A mature brain architecture knowledge management system (NIH/NINDS/NIMH/NIBIB/NLM), L.W. Swanson, A. W. Toga, $346,025, 08/01/2004-04/30/2005
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Affiliations with Research Centers, Labs, and Other Institutions
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Brain Architecture Center
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Swanson Lab
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Conferences and Other Presentations
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Conference Presentations
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"New Insights Into Brain Organization", Talk, La Jolla, California, Salk Institute, Invited, 2007-2008
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"Brain Control of Eatng Behavior", Winter Confernce on Neural Plasticity, Talk, Morrea, French Polynesia, Invited, 2006-2007
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"Opening Plenary Lecture", The Neurosciences in the XXl Century, Talk, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Instituto de Ciencias B, Invited, 2006-2007
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"Organization of Forebrain Circuits Controlling Motivated Behaviior", Kaka'ako Colloquium for Molecular and Behavioral Neurosciences and CMB Seminar Series, Talk, Honolulu, Hawaii, University of Hawaii, Invited, 2006-2007
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"Solving the Brain Nomenclature Problem", Brain Architecture Project, Talk, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, Cold Spring Harbor Labs, Invited, 2006-2007
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"The First Realistic Views of the Brain", The International Society for the History of the Neurosciences, Talk, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, ISHN, Invited, 2006-2007
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"The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus: a model for neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral integration of nerual systems.", XLlX Congresso Nacional de Ciencias Fisiologicas, Talk, Queratro City, Mexico, Instituto de Neurobiologica, UNAM, Invited, 2006-2007
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"The organization of neural systems controlling motivated and emotional behavior.", Murray Bar Lecture, Talk, Ontario, Canada, University of Western Canada Department of Anatomy, 2006-2007
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Publications
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Book Chapter
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Swanson, L.
(2007).
Paraventricular nucleus. San Diego: Elsevier.
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Horn, J., Swanson, L.
(2007).
The autonomic nervous system and the hypothalamus. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
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Kruger, L., Swanson, L.
(2007).
1710: the introduction of experimental nervous system physiology and anatomy by Francois Pourfour du Petit. New York: Springer.
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Swanson, L.
(2007).
Basic plan of the nervous system. pp. Chapter Two. San Diego: Academic Press.
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Journal Article
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Cenquizca, L., Swanson, L.
(2007).
Spatial organization of direct hippocampal field CA1 axonal projections to the rest of the crebral cortex. Brain Research Reivew.
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Swanson, L.
(2007).
The neuron classification problem. Brain Research Reivew.
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Bota, M., Swanson, L.
(2007).
Online workbenches for neural network connections. Journal of Comparative Neurology/Wiley.
Vol. 500(5) 807-814
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Swanson, L.
(2007).
Quest for the basic plan of nervous system circuitry. Brain Research Review.
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Dong, H., Swanson, L.
(2006).
Projections from the bed nuclei of the stria terminalis, dorsomedial nucleus: implicatons for cerebral hemisphere integration of neuroendocrine, autonomic and drinking responses. Journal of Comparative Neurology/Wiley.
Vol. 494, pp. 75-107.
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Dong, H., Swanson, L.
(2006).
Projections from the bed nuclei of the stria terminalis, magnocellular nucleus: implications for cerebral hemisphere regulation of micutrition, defecation and penile erection. Journal of Comparative Neurology/Wiley.
Vol. 494, pp. 108-141.
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Dong, H., Swanson, L.
(2006).
Projections from bed nuclei of the stria terminalis, aneromedial area: cerebral hemisphere integration of neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral aspects of energy balance. Journal of Comparative Neurology/Wiley.
Vol. 494, pp. 142-178.
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Cenquizca, L., Swanson, L.
(2006).
An analysis of direct hippocampal cortical field CA1 axonal projections to diencephalons in the rat. Journal of Comparative Neurology/Wiley.
Vol. 497, pp. 101-114.
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Burns, A. P., Cheng, W., Thompson, R. F., Swanson, L.
(2006).
The NeuARt II system: a viewing tool for neuroanatomical data based on published neuroanatomical atlases. BMC Bioinformatics.
Vol. n/a
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Swanson, L.
(2006).
A new module for online manipulation and display of molecular information in the brain architecture managment system. Informatics/Humane.
Vol. 4, pp. 275-298.
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Choi, G., Dong, H., Murphy, A., Valenzuela, D., Yancopoulos, G., Swanson, L., Anderson, D.
(2005).
Lhx6 delineates a pathway mediating innate reproductive behaviors frm the amygdala to the hypothalamus. Neuron.
Vol. 46, pp. 647-660.
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Goto, M., Canteras, N., Burns, A. P., Swanson, L.
(2005).
Projections from the subfornical region of the lateral hypothalamic area. Journal of Comparative Neurology/Wiley.
Vol. 493(3), pp. 412-38.
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Bota, M., Dong, H., Swanson, L.
(2005).
Brain architecture management system. Neuroinformatics/Humane.
Vol. 3, pp. 15-48.
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Swanson, L., Sanchez-Watts, G., Watts, A.
(2005).
Comparison of melanin-concentrating hormone and hypocretin/orexin mRNA expression patterns in a new parcelating scheme of the lateral hypothalamic zone. Neuroscience Letters/Elsevier.
Vol. 387, pp. 80-84.
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Swanson, L.
(2005).
Anatomy of the soul as reflected in the cerebral hemispheres: neural circuits underlying voluntary control of basic motivated behaviors. Journal of Comparative Neurology/Wiley.
Vol. 493, pp. 122-131.
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Bota, M., Dong, H., Swanson, L.
(2003).
From gene networks to brain networks. Nature Neuroscience/Nature Publishing Group.
Vol. 8(6), pp. p. 795-799.
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New Courses Developed
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Brain and Emotion, Biological Sciences, 2006-2007
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Honors and Awards
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Javits Investigator Award in Neuroscience, 2006-
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Endowed Professorship, Milo Don and Lucille Appleman Professorship in Biological Sciences, 1/1/1995-8/31/2008
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USC Associates Award For Creativity In Research And Scholarship, 2005
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American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Fellow, 2003
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Doctor of Laws (honoris causa), Concordia University, Montreal, 2003
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Fellow (or Equivalent) of National Society in Discipline, American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, 2003
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Institute for Scientific Information, 100 most cited scientific resesarcher from 1980 to 2000, 2001
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USC Raubenheimer Outstanding Senior Faculty Award, 1996
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Javits Neuroscience Investigator (MERIT) award, NINDS, 1986-1992
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Institute for Scientific Information, 100 most cited scientific resesarcher from 1980 to 2000, 1991
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McKnight Neuroscience Development Award, 1985-1987
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C.J. Herrick Award (American Association of Anatomists), 1980
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Sloan Research Fellowship, A.P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellowship in Neuroscience, 1977-1980
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Service to the University
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Administrative Appointments
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Director, NIBS-Neuroscience Program, 2001-2004
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Founding Coordinator, Neuroscience Graduate Program, 1997-2004
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Dean of Research, 1998-2000
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Director, Research and Graduate Program in Neurobiology, 1993-1997
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Committees
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Chair, Provost's Neuroscience Advisory Group, 2001-2006
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Member, Faculty Senate Executive Committee, 1992-1993
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Service to the Profession
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Committees
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Member, NIMH Board of Scientific Counselors, 2006-
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Member, Society for Neurosciences Publications Committee, 2006-
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Editorships and Editorial Boards
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Editorial Board, Handbook of Behavioral Neurobiology, 1995-
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Editorial Board Member, Journal of the History of Neurosciences, 1995-
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Editorial Baord Member, Brain Research Reviews, 1993-
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Editorial Board Member, Encyclopedia of Neuroscience, 1993-
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Editorial Advisory Board Member, Brain Research Bulletin, 1988-
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Editorial Board Member, European Journal of Neuroscience, 1987-
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Member, Board of Co-Editors, Experimental Brain Research, 1984-
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Editorial Board Member, Journal of Comparative Neurology, 1993-2005
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Professional Memberships
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Dana Alliance for Brain Initiative, 2005-
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American Academy of Arts & Sciences, Fellow, 2003, 2003-
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American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow (2002), 2002-
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Cajal Club, President (2004 -2006 ), 2002-
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International Behavioral Neuroscience Society, 1999-2006
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International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience (International Steering Committee), 1999-2006
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International Society for the History of the Neurosciences, 1995-2006
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Society for Neuroscience (Secretary, 1998-2000), 1971-2006
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