This prize was created by Constance and Stephen Lieber in memory of Patricia Goldman-Rakic, Ph.D., a distinguished neuroscientist renowned for discoveries about the brain’s frontal lobe, after her tragic death in an automobile accident in 2003. The prize carries an award of $40,000.
SELECTION COMMITTEE
- Jack D. Barchas, M.D. (Chair)
- Huda Akil, Ph.D.
- Jonathan D. Cohen, M.D., Ph.D.
- Paul Greengard, Ph.D.
- Bruce S. McEwen, Ph.D.
- Michael I. Posner, Ph.D.
- Solomon H. Snyder, M.D., Ph.D., DSc
- Leslie G. Ungerleider, Ph.D.
2017 Prizewinners
Fritz A. Henn, M.D., Ph.D.
Scientific Council Member
Professor of Psychiatry
Meet the Scientist Webinar
Bipolar Disorder: Course and (Possible) Mechanism
Earl K. Miller, Ph.D.
Picower Professor of Neuroscience
Building on Pat Goldman-Rakic’s groundbreaking studies, Dr. Miller’s work in primates has broken new ground in the understanding of cognition. Using innovative experimental and theoretical approaches to study the neural basis of high-level cognitive functions, his laboratory has provided insights into how categories, concepts, and rules are learned, how attention is focused, and how the brain coordinates thought and action. The laboratory has innovated techniques for studying the activity of many neurons in multiple brain areas simultaneously, providing insight into how different brain structures interact and collaborate. This work has established a foundation upon which to construct more detailed, mechanistic accounts of how executive control is implemented in the brain and its dysfunction in diseases such as autism, schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder, and has led to new approaches relevant to severe mental illnesses in children and adults.
Prizewinner Video: