Hallett Honored in Rome
Dr. Mark Hallett, NINDS clinical director, recently won the Fifth
Biennial Award on Neuroscience (5° Primio di Neuroscienze) from
the Associazione Fatebenefratelli per la Ricerca (Fatebenefratelli
Association for Research) in Rome. He was chosen for the
important contributions he has made to understanding the
pathophysiology of several different movement disorders including
Parkinson's disease, dystonia, myoclonus and cerebellar ataxia. His
award lecture, titled "Plasticity of the Human Brain," described his
recent work on how plasticity plays an important role in
reorganization of the brain resulting from peripheral injury, recovery
from stroke, dystonia, and motor learning. The Fate-benefratelli
organization owns more than 200 hospitals in 45 countries.
Cohen Receives Award in Germany
Dr. Leonardo Cohen, chief of the human cortical physiology section
of NINDS's Medical Neurology Branch, recently received an
Alexander von Humboldt Research Award in Tuebingen, Germany.
Sponsored by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the award
is given to foreign scholars whose academic accomplishments are
recognized worldwide to foster long-term cooperation between
foreign and German researchers. Cohen was chosen for his research
on the plasticity of the human central nervous system. His work
focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying plastic
changes, the development of novel therapeutic approaches for
recovery of function, and the assessment of plastic changes in
human motor function after a variety of interventions and injuries
such as stroke, spinal cord injury and amputations. Each year the
foundation grants up to 150 research awards. The foundation is a
nonprofit organization that enables highly qualified foreign scholars
who hold doctorates to carry out long-term research projects in
Germany.
Two NIH Scientists Elected to NAS
Two NIH investigators — Drs. John M. Coffin and Robert Desimone — are among the 60 new members and 15 foreign associates elected Apr. 27 to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. The election was held during NAS' 136th annual meeting.
Coffin is director, HIV drug resistance program, National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Md., and American Cancer Society research professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston.
Desimone is scientific director at the National Institute of Mental Health and chief of the Laboratory of Neuropsychology.
Election to membership in the academy is considered one of the highest honors that can be accorded a U.S. scientist or engineer. The April election brings the total number of active members to 1,825.
NAS is a private organization of scientists and engineers dedicated to the furtherance of science and its use for the general welfare. It was established in 1863 by a congressional act of incorporation, signed by Abraham Lincoln, that calls on NAS to act as an official adviser to the federal government.
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