Robert T. Gerlai | |
|---|---|
 Robert Gerlai, August 2009 | |
| Born | 1960 (age 64–65) |
| Citizenship | Canadian |
| Alma mater | Eötvös Loránd University |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Behavior genetics |
| Institutions | University of Toronto |
| Doctoral advisor | Vilmos Csanyi |
| Website | https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/gerlai-lab/home |
Robert T. Gerlai is a Canadian behaviour geneticist and behavioural neuroscientist.
Gerlai obtained his PhD in 1987 from the Eötvös Loránd University and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest.[ citation needed ]
Gerlai has worked in the biotechnology (Genentech) and biopharmaceutical research industries (Eli Lilly and Company and Saegis Pharmaceuticals) as Senior Scientist and Vice President of Research, and led pre-clinical as well as clinical research teams developing drugs to treat mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's Disease. He also worked at different universities in North America and Europe. He is a Distinguished Professor of behavioral neuroscience at the Department of Psychology at the University of Toronto. [1]
The Web of Science lists over 350 peer-reviewed publications for Gerlai, which have been cited over 19500 times, resulting in an h-index of 72. [2] Gerlai has worked with several different animal species, including paradise fish and mice. He was among the first to use transgenic mice in the analysis of learning and memory[ citation needed ] and showed that astrocytes play important roles in synaptic plasticity. He is also known for discovering the role of Eph tyrosine kinases and their ephrin ligands in neuronal plasticity.[ citation needed ] He is considered a leader[ citation needed ] of zebrafish behavioral neuroscience research, and has been using this species, and studies the effects of alcohol on brain function and behaviour, including social behaviour, fear-anxiety, and learning and memory. [1] [3]
Gerlai is an elected Fellow of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society, of which he also has been president. [4] He is editor-in-chief of Behavioral and Brain Functions . [5] He is editor of the book series Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology (https://www.springer.com/series/5584?srsltid=AfmBOooV1CNLssyA_Dkpec7A3hvNG8obhFa730HsLDUscUkc0YKzg75w). He is a member of the editorial boards of Biology, [6] Genes, Brain and Behavior , [7] Neurotoxicology and Teratology , [8] Learning and Behavior , [9] Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences , Zebrafish, and F1000. He is section editor for behavioral neuroscience of BMC Neuroscience . [10] In 2013, Gerlai received the Distinguished Scientist Award from the International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society. [11] In 2015, he received the Research Excellence Award from the University of Toronto. [12] In 2019 he received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society. [13] In 2019 and again in 2024, he received the 5-year John Carlin Roder Distinguished Professorship in Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Toronto Mississauga. [14] [15] In 2023, he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.[ citation needed ] In 2024, he received the IQ Consortium/AAALAC International Global 3Rs Award for his significant and innovative contributions to ethical and humane use of animals in research (https://www.aaalac.org/awards/global-3rs-winners/).
