David Colman
Encyclopedia
David R. Colman was an American neuroscientist
who served as Director of the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro) at McGill University
and McGill University Health Centre
until his death in June 2011.
Under his leadership, The Neuro maintained its position as a world-renowned integrated research and clinical academic medical centre that has been dedicated to neuroscience since its founding in 1934. Colman's research centers on the role of cell adhesion molecules in the formation and maintenance of the myelin sheath, and in adhesion between pre- and post-synaptic membranes. His research group studied regeneration of neural connections after spinal cord injury.
and Vice Chairman for Research in the Department of Neurology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
. In 2002, Colman accepted a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair and moved to McGill University as the Wilder Graves Penfield Professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, and Director of the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital.
NeuroEngineering, one of Colman's academic initiatives at McGill, is a consortium of neurobiologists, physicists, chemists and engineers who are conducting research on regeneration in the nervous system by creating a biological interface with artificial matrices to restore function after spinal cord injury. Colman also committed to new clinical programs at The Neuro such as the Neuropalliative Care Program to provide care for patients with life-threatening neurological disease. In recognition of its contribution in basic, clinical and translational research under Colman's leadership, The Neuro was recognized by the Canadian government in 2007 as a Centre of Excellence in Commercialization and Research.
In service to the professional community, Colman was a member of the Medical Advisory Board of the Gairdner Foundation
, and a consultant to the National Science Foundation (US) and to the Ministry of Research and Innovation of Ontario, Canada, and a member of grant review panels and editorial boards of scientific journals. In service to the public, Colman committed The Neuro to regular educational outreach activities for young people to inspire their curiosity and interest in science. To support this effort, he initiated a partnership with the National Film Board of Canada
and international partners to produce a 3D giant screen film on the brain which will be completed in 2012.
Neuroscientist
A neuroscientist is an individual who studies the scientific field of neuroscience or any of its related sub-fields...
who served as Director of the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro) at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
and McGill University Health Centre
McGill University Health Centre
The McGill University Health Centre is a network of teaching and community hospitals in Montreal, Quebec, Canada affiliated with McGill University....
until his death in June 2011.
Under his leadership, The Neuro maintained its position as a world-renowned integrated research and clinical academic medical centre that has been dedicated to neuroscience since its founding in 1934. Colman's research centers on the role of cell adhesion molecules in the formation and maintenance of the myelin sheath, and in adhesion between pre- and post-synaptic membranes. His research group studied regeneration of neural connections after spinal cord injury.
Early life and education
Colman was born in New York City and grew up in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. Inspired as a boy in the 1950s by movies and TV science and science fiction shows such as Gateway to the Mind, Watch Mr. Wizard, and Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, he attended The Bronx High School of Science and earned his undergraduate degree in Biology from New York University. Colman was awarded a doctorate in neuroscience from the State University of New York, Health Sciences Center in Brooklyn, New York in 1977 and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the laboratory of David D. Sabatini at New York University School of Medicine.Career in academia
In 1983 he was appointed Assistant Professor at NYU School of Medicine, and in 1987 left NYU to become an Associate Professor in the Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology, and Pathology at The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University (New York). In 1993, Colman moved to Mount Sinai Hospital to become the first Annenberg Professor of Molecular Biology and Neuroscience. In 2000, he was named Scientific Director at the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple SclerosisCorinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis
The Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis is a multiple sclerosis research and treatment center in New York City.In 2005, it received one of the largest grants ever given for MS research in the United States, a $25 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study...
and Vice Chairman for Research in the Department of Neurology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Mount Sinai School of Medicine is an American medical school in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, currently ranked among the top 20 medical schools in the United States. It was chartered by Mount Sinai Hospital in 1963....
. In 2002, Colman accepted a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair and moved to McGill University as the Wilder Graves Penfield Professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, and Director of the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital.
NeuroEngineering, one of Colman's academic initiatives at McGill, is a consortium of neurobiologists, physicists, chemists and engineers who are conducting research on regeneration in the nervous system by creating a biological interface with artificial matrices to restore function after spinal cord injury. Colman also committed to new clinical programs at The Neuro such as the Neuropalliative Care Program to provide care for patients with life-threatening neurological disease. In recognition of its contribution in basic, clinical and translational research under Colman's leadership, The Neuro was recognized by the Canadian government in 2007 as a Centre of Excellence in Commercialization and Research.
In service to the professional community, Colman was a member of the Medical Advisory Board of the Gairdner Foundation
Gairdner Foundation
The Gairdner Foundation was created in 1957 by James Arthur Gairdner to recognize and reward the achievements of medical researchers whose work contributes significantly to improving the quality of human life. Since the first awards were made in 1959, the Gairdner Awards have become Canada's...
, and a consultant to the National Science Foundation (US) and to the Ministry of Research and Innovation of Ontario, Canada, and a member of grant review panels and editorial boards of scientific journals. In service to the public, Colman committed The Neuro to regular educational outreach activities for young people to inspire their curiosity and interest in science. To support this effort, he initiated a partnership with the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
and international partners to produce a 3D giant screen film on the brain which will be completed in 2012.
Awards
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research Establishment Award (2002)
- New York State Spinal Cord Injury Trust Award (2001–2003)
- Jacob K. Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award, National Institutes of Health (1990–1997)
- Basmajian/Williams and Wilkins Award (1993)
- The Lamport Award for Excellence in Basic Science Research (Columbia University, 1992)
- Career Award, Irma T. Hirschl Charitable Trust (1985–1990)
- National Research Service AwardNational Research Service AwardThe Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards are a family of grants provided by the United States National Institutes of Health for training researchers in the behavioral sciences and health sciences. They are a highly selective and very prestigious source of funding for doctoral and...
(National Institutes of Health, 1979–1981)