Event Details:
This seminar is the annual Eric M. Shooter Lecture, co-sponsored by the Department of Neurobiology. The seminar will be on Wednesday at noon rather than the usual Thursday date.
Join the speaker for a reception in the Theory Center following the seminar.
Eye, Brain and Decision: A Stanford Retrospective
Abstract
Across 70 years, the primate visual system has provided a critical test bed for exploring neural mechanisms that mediate visual perception and visually-based decision-making. Some of the most illuminating experiments were performed in my laboratory at Stanford. I will present a cook’s tour of these experiments, including their conceptual origins and key results. The presentation will be enlivened by never-before-seen-in-public photographs and data figures from lab archives. I will close with a few thoughts about academic duty, and why Stanford is such a fantastic place to do neuroscience!
Bill Newsome, PhD
Harman Family Provostial Professor and Professor of Neurobiology and, by courtesy, of Psychology, Stanford University
Bill Newsome is the Harman Family Provostial Professor in the Department of Neurobiology at Stanford. He received a B.S. degree in physics from Stetson University and a Ph.D. in biology from Caltech. Newsome has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying visual perception and decision-making. Among his honors are the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award of the American Psychological Association, the Karl Spencer Lashley Prize of the American Philosophical Society, and the Champalimaud Vision Award. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society.
Hosted by Stephen Baccus (Baccus Lab)
Sign up for Speaker Meet-ups
Engagement with our seminar speakers extends beyond the lecture. On seminar days, invited speakers meet one-on-one with faculty members, have lunch with a small group of trainees, and enjoy dinner with a small group of faculty and the speaker's host.
If you’re a Stanford faculty member or trainee interested in participating in these Speaker Meet-up opportunities, click the button below to express your interest. Depending on availability, you may be invited to join the speaker for one of these enriching experiences.
Note: For this seminar, the faculty meetings will be occuring on Wed. Apr 15 (seminar day), while the trainee lunch and faculty dinner will be on Thurs. Apr 16.
Speaker Meet-ups Interest Form
Eric M. Shooter Lecture
Dr. Eric M. Shooter was an emeritus professor of neurobiology at Stanford University's School of Medicine, the inaugural chair of the Neurobiology department, and a valuable mentor to the community. Renowned globally for his contributions to neurobiology, Shooter's research focused on the structure and function of neurotrophins, essential proteins for the survival of nerve cells. His work could lead to nerve regeneration in individuals with spinal cord injuries and help combat neurodegenerative diseases. Despite his passing in 2018, his positive impact on the neurobiology field and the neuroscience community of Stanford continues on.
In 2007, the annual Shooter lecture, co-hosted by Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Department of Neurobiology, was established to continue Shooter's legacy of nurturing Stanford's neurobiology community. Integrated into the Wu Tsai Neuro Seminar Series, these annual Shooter lectures particularly focus on neurobiology topics. This year marks the 18th Annual Shooter lecture.
About the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Seminar Series
The Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute seminar series brings together the Stanford neuroscience community to discuss cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary brain research, from biochemistry to behavior and beyond.
Topics include new discoveries in fundamental neurobiology; advances in human and translational neuroscience; insights from computational and theoretical neuroscience; and the development of novel research technologies and neuro-engineering breakthroughs.
Unless otherwise noted, seminars are held Thursdays at 12:00 noon PT.
