Fernando Nottebohm
Encyclopedia
Dr Fernando Nottebohm is a neuroscientist and is the Dorothea L. Leonhardt Professor at Rockefeller University
as well as being head of the Laboratory of Animal Behavior and director of the Field Research Center for Ecology
and Ethology
.
While his contributions to neuroscience
are substantial , he is most famous for providing definitive proof that neurogenesis
occurs in the adult vertebrate
brain
, a notion that was considered impossible by most scientists beforehand. As quoted from the citation of his 2006 Benjamin Franklin Medal in life Science:
He was born in Argentina
and received his PhD in Zoology
from the University of California, Berkeley
in 1966 while working with Peter Marler. Afterwards, he worked on some pioneering studies of the song of the Rufous-collared Sparrow
(Zonotrichia capensis).
1971-76 Associate Professor, Rockefeller University
1976–Present Professor, Rockefeller University
1981–Present Director, Rockefeller University Field Research Center for Ecology and Ethology, Millbrook, New York
1982 Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
1982 Kenneth Craik Research Award of St. John’s College, Cambridge University, England, for outstanding scholarship in physiological psychology.
1984 Pattison Award for Distinguished Research in the Neurosciences.
1986 Nelson Medical Lectureship, awarded by the School of Medicine of the University of California, Davis
1986 Elliott Coue’s Award, American Ornithologists’ Union.
1987 Painton Award, Cooper Ornithological Society.
1988 Member of the National Academy of Sciences. USA
1990 MERIT Award, National Institutes of Mental Health.
1991 Member of the American Philosophical Society.
1992 Charles A. Dana Award( jointly with Masakazu Konishi
) for pioneering achievement in The Health Sciences.
1995 King Solomon Lecturer at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
1996 Named to the Dorothea L. Leonhardt Distinguished Professorship, Rockefeller University
1999 Fondation Ipsen Neuronal Plasticity Prize( jointly with Peter Marler and Masakazu Konishi) .
2003 Ernst Florey Plenary Lecture. 29th Gottingen Neurobiology Conference & 15th Meeting of German Neuroscience Society.
2004 Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Work in the Basic Medical Sciences( shared with Masakazu Konishi and Peter Marler) .
2004 Karl Spencer Lashley Award( shared with Masakazu Konishi) . American Philosophical Society
2006 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Sciences. The Franklin Institute.
2006 Sven Berggren Lecture and Prize. Royal Physiographic Society in Lund.
Rockefeller University
The Rockefeller University is a private university offering postgraduate and postdoctoral education. It has a strong concentration in the biological sciences. It is also known for producing numerous Nobel laureates...
as well as being head of the Laboratory of Animal Behavior and director of the Field Research Center for Ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
and Ethology
Ethology
Ethology is the scientific study of animal behavior, and a sub-topic of zoology....
.
While his contributions to neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
are substantial , he is most famous for providing definitive proof that neurogenesis
Neurogenesis
Neurogenesis is the process by which neurons are generated from neural stem and progenitor cells. Most active during pre-natal development, neurogenesis is responsible for populating the growing brain with neurons. Recently neurogenesis was shown to continue in several small parts of the brain of...
occurs in the adult vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
, a notion that was considered impossible by most scientists beforehand. As quoted from the citation of his 2006 Benjamin Franklin Medal in life Science:
The 2006 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science is awarded to Fernando Nottebohm for his discovery of neuronal replacement in the adult vertebrate brain, and the elaboration of the mechanism and choreography of this phenomenon; and also for showing that neuronal stem cells are the responsible agents, thereby generating a completely new approach to the quest for cures for brain injury and degenerative disease.
He was born in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and received his PhD in Zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1966 while working with Peter Marler. Afterwards, he worked on some pioneering studies of the song of the Rufous-collared Sparrow
Rufous-collared Sparrow
The Rufous-collared Sparrow, Zonotrichia capensis, is an American sparrow found in a wide range of habitats, often near humans, from the extreme southeast of Mexico to Tierra del Fuego, and on the island of Hispaniola. It is famous for its diverse vocalizations which have been intensely studied...
(Zonotrichia capensis).
Academic positions
1967-71 Assistant Professor, Rockefeller University1971-76 Associate Professor, Rockefeller University
1976–Present Professor, Rockefeller University
1981–Present Director, Rockefeller University Field Research Center for Ecology and Ethology, Millbrook, New York
Honors and awards
1982 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science1982 Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
1982 Kenneth Craik Research Award of St. John’s College, Cambridge University, England, for outstanding scholarship in physiological psychology.
1984 Pattison Award for Distinguished Research in the Neurosciences.
1986 Nelson Medical Lectureship, awarded by the School of Medicine of the University of California, Davis
1986 Elliott Coue’s Award, American Ornithologists’ Union.
1987 Painton Award, Cooper Ornithological Society.
1988 Member of the National Academy of Sciences. USA
1990 MERIT Award, National Institutes of Mental Health.
1991 Member of the American Philosophical Society.
1992 Charles A. Dana Award
Masakazu Konishi
is a Japanese neurobiologist, known for his research on prey capture auditory systems of barn owls and singing in songbirds.-Life:After growing up in wartime Kyoto, Konishi moved to study at Sapporo Agricultural College, Hokkaido University. Konishi studied for his doctoral thesis on properties of...
1995 King Solomon Lecturer at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
1996 Named to the Dorothea L. Leonhardt Distinguished Professorship, Rockefeller University
1999 Fondation Ipsen Neuronal Plasticity Prize
2003 Ernst Florey Plenary Lecture. 29th Gottingen Neurobiology Conference & 15th Meeting of German Neuroscience Society.
2004 Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Work in the Basic Medical Sciences
2004 Karl Spencer Lashley Award
2006 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Sciences. The Franklin Institute.
2006 Sven Berggren Lecture and Prize. Royal Physiographic Society in Lund.