Rodolfo Llinás
Encyclopedia
Rodolfo R. Llinás PhD
(b. Bogotá
, Colombia
in 1934) is a neuroscientist. He is presently the Thomas and Suzanne Murphy Professor of Neuroscience and Chairman of the department of Physiology & Neuroscience at the NYU School of Medicine. He attended the Gimnasio Moderno
school and received his MD from the Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá in 1959 and his PhD
in 1965 from the Australian National University
working under Sir John Eccles. Llinás has published over 500 scientific articles.
, the thalamus
, the cerebral cortex
, the entorhinal cortex
, the hippocampus
, the vestibular system
, the inferior olive and the spinal cord
. He has studied synaptic transmitter release in the squid giant synapse
. He has studied human brain function using magnetoencephalography
(MEG) on the basis of which he introduced the concept of Thalamocortical dysrhythmia
.
evolved
because organisms needed to move around without running into other organisms or objects.
Further contributions include:
(1986), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
(1996), American Philosophical Society
(1996), the Real Academia Nacional de Medicina (Spain) (1996) and the French Academy of Science (2002). Dr. Llinás has received Honorary Degrees from the following universities:
He was also the chairman of NASA
/Neurolab Science Working Group.
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
(b. Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
in 1934) is a neuroscientist. He is presently the Thomas and Suzanne Murphy Professor of Neuroscience and Chairman of the department of Physiology & Neuroscience at the NYU School of Medicine. He attended the Gimnasio Moderno
Gimnasio Moderno
The Gimnasio Moderno is a private all-male traditional and liberal, primary and secondary school located in Bogotá, Colombia. It was founded in 1914 by various prestigious Colombians following the leading initiative of Don Agustín Nieto Caballero...
school and received his MD from the Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá in 1959 and his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1965 from the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
working under Sir John Eccles. Llinás has published over 500 scientific articles.
Work
He has studied the electrophysiology of single neurons in the cerebellumCerebellum
The cerebellum is a region of the brain that plays an important role in motor control. It may also be involved in some cognitive functions such as attention and language, and in regulating fear and pleasure responses, but its movement-related functions are the most solidly established...
, the thalamus
Thalamus
The thalamus is a midline paired symmetrical structure within the brains of vertebrates, including humans. It is situated between the cerebral cortex and midbrain, both in terms of location and neurological connections...
, the cerebral cortex
Cerebral cortex
The cerebral cortex is a sheet of neural tissue that is outermost to the cerebrum of the mammalian brain. It plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language, and consciousness. It is constituted of up to six horizontal layers, each of which has a different...
, the entorhinal cortex
Entorhinal cortex
The entorhinal cortex is located in the medial temporal lobe and functions as a hub in a widespread network for memory and navigation. The EC is the main interface between the hippocampus and neocortex...
, the hippocampus
Hippocampus
The hippocampus is a major component of the brains of humans and other vertebrates. It belongs to the limbic system and plays important roles in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory and spatial navigation. Humans and other mammals have two hippocampi, one in...
, the vestibular system
Vestibular system
The vestibular system, which contributes to balance in most mammals and to the sense of spatial orientation, is the sensory system that provides the leading contribution about movement and sense of balance. Together with the cochlea, a part of the auditory system, it constitutes the labyrinth of...
, the inferior olive and the spinal cord
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
. He has studied synaptic transmitter release in the squid giant synapse
Squid giant synapse
The squid giant synapse is a chemical synapse found in squid. It is the largest chemical junction in nature.-Anatomy:The squid giant synapse was first recognized by John Zachary Young in 1939. It lies in the stellate ganglion on each side of the midline, at the posterior wall of the squid’s...
. He has studied human brain function using magnetoencephalography
Magnetoencephalography
Magnetoencephalography is a technique for mapping brain activity by recording magnetic fields produced by electrical currents occurring naturally in the brain, using arrays of SQUIDs...
(MEG) on the basis of which he introduced the concept of Thalamocortical dysrhythmia
Thalamocortical Dysrhythmia
Thalamocortical Dysrhythmia is a theoretical framework in which neuroscientists try to explain the positive and negative symptoms induced by neurological disorders like Parkinson's Disease, neurogenic pain, Tinnitus, Epilepsy as well as neuropsychiatric disorders like depression.In TCD the...
.
Contributions
Llinás has written that the brainBrain
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,...
evolved
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
because organisms needed to move around without running into other organisms or objects.
Further contributions include:
- Discovery of dendritic inhibition in central neurons (at the mammalian motoneuron).
- The functional organization of the cerebellar cortex neuronal circuits .
- Defining cerebellar function from an evolutionary perspective.
- First description of electrical coupling in the mammalian CNS ( mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus)
- First determination of presynaptic calcium current, under voltage clamp, at the squid giant synapseSquid giant synapseThe squid giant synapse is a chemical synapse found in squid. It is the largest chemical junction in nature.-Anatomy:The squid giant synapse was first recognized by John Zachary Young in 1939. It lies in the stellate ganglion on each side of the midline, at the posterior wall of the squid’s...
.
- Discovery that vertebrate neurons (cerebellar Purkinje cellPurkinje cellFor the cells of the electrical conduction system of the heart, see Purkinje fibersPurkinje cells, or Purkinje neurons , are a class of GABAergic neurons located in the cerebellar cortex...
) can generate calcium-dependent spikes .
- Discovery of the P-type calcium channelP-type calcium channelThe p-type calcium channel is a type of voltage-dependent calcium channel. Like the others of this class, the α1 subunit is the one that determines most of the channel's properties....
in the Purkinje cells.
- Discovery of low threshold spikesLow threshold spikesLow-threshold spikes refer to action potentials generated from a membrane potential negative to that for sodium spike threshold .-Events:...
generated by low voltage activated calcium conductaces (presently known as due to T-type calcium channelT-type calcium channelThe T-type calcium channel is a type of voltage-gated calcium channel. "T" stands for transient referring to the length of activation. As with other sub-types of voltage-gated calcium channel, the α1 subunit is the one that determines most of the channel's properties...
) in inferior olive and thalamusThalamusThe thalamus is a midline paired symmetrical structure within the brains of vertebrates, including humans. It is situated between the cerebral cortex and midbrain, both in terms of location and neurological connections...
neurons
- Asserting the law of no interchangeability of neurons, which it is known as Llinás' lawLlinás' lawLlinás' law, or law of no interchangeability of neurons, is a law of neuroscience which was asserted by Rodolfo Llinás in 1989, when he was awarded with the Luigi Galvani Lecture and Award in the Fidia Research Foundation Neuroscience Award Lectures ....
.
- Direct demonstration of calcium concentration microdomainsCalcium concentration microdomainsCalcium concentration microdomains are sites in a cell's cytoplasm with a localised high calcium ion concentration. They are found immediately around the intracellular opening of calcium channels; when a calcium channel opens, the Ca2+ concentration in the adjacent CCM increases up to several...
at the presynaptic active zone.
- Utilization of magnetoencephalographyMagnetoencephalographyMagnetoencephalography is a technique for mapping brain activity by recording magnetic fields produced by electrical currents occurring naturally in the brain, using arrays of SQUIDs...
in clinical research.
- Discovery of subthreshold membrane potential oscillationsSubthreshold membrane potential oscillationsSubthreshold membrane potential oscillations are rhythmic fluctuations of the voltage difference between the interior and exterior of a neuron, in the nervous system....
in the inferior olive, thalamus and entorhinal cortexEntorhinal cortexThe entorhinal cortex is located in the medial temporal lobe and functions as a hub in a widespread network for memory and navigation. The EC is the main interface between the hippocampus and neocortex...
.
- The discovery of Thalamocortical dysrhythmiaThalamocortical DysrhythmiaThalamocortical Dysrhythmia is a theoretical framework in which neuroscientists try to explain the positive and negative symptoms induced by neurological disorders like Parkinson's Disease, neurogenic pain, Tinnitus, Epilepsy as well as neuropsychiatric disorders like depression.In TCD the...
.
- Artificial olivo-cerebellar motor control system as part of the project BAUV (Undersea Vehicle) of the US Navy developed by P. Bandyopadhyay.
Memberships
Llinás is a member of the United States National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
(1986), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
(1996), American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
(1996), the Real Academia Nacional de Medicina (Spain) (1996) and the French Academy of Science (2002). Dr. Llinás has received Honorary Degrees from the following universities:
- Universidad de Salamanca (Spain) (1985)
- Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain) (1993)
- National University of ColombiaNational University of ColombiaThe Universidad Nacional de Colombia , also called UNAL or just UN, is a public, national, coeducational, research university, located primarily in Bogotá, Medellín, Manizales and Palmira, Colombia...
(1994) - Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain (1997)
- Universidad de los Andes, Colombia, (1998)
- Toyama University, Toyama, Japan (2005)
- University of PaviaUniversity of PaviaThe University of Pavia is a university located in Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. It was founded in 1361 and is organized in 9 Faculties.-History:...
, Italy (2006)
He was also the chairman of NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
/Neurolab Science Working Group.
Selected bibliography
- Hubbard, J.I., Llinás, R. and Quastel, D.M.J. Electrophysiological Analysis of Synaptic Transmission. London: Edward Arnold Publishers 1969.
- Llinás, R. Editor. Neurobiology of Cerebellar Evolution and Development. (Chicago: Am. Med. Association, 1969)
- Llinás, R. I of the Vortex: From Neurons to Self (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. 2001). ISBN 0262621630
- Llinás, Rodolfo R. The Squid Giant Synapse : A Model for Chemical Transmission Oxford University Press, USA (December 15, 1999) ISBN 0195116526
- Llinás, Rodolfo R. and Churchland, Patricia S. Mind-Brain Continuum: Sensory Processes The MIT Press (September 9, 1996) ISBN 0262121980
- Llinás, Rodolfo R., and Steriade, Mircea. Bursting of thalamic neurons and states of vigilance. Invited Review J. Neurophysiol ,95:3297-3308, 2006.
Newspaper articles
- Enter the "I" of the Vortex The Science Network interview with Rodolfo Llinás
- In a Host of Ailments, Seeing a Brain Out of Rhythm The New York Times December 8, 2008
- New Way Of Looking At Diseases Of the Brain The New York Times October 26, 1999
- Listening to the Conversation of Neurons The New York Times May 27, 1997
- New York Times announcement of election to the [National Academy of Sciences]