Newswise — Moses Chao, PhD, professor of cell biology, physiology and neuroscience, and psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine, and a member of the Molecular Neurobiology Program at the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, was named president-elect of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), one of the largest organization of scientists and physicians devoted to advancing understanding of the brain and nervous system. As the society’s next president, Dr. Chao will focus on increasing public awareness of neuroscience research, the inequality of gender in higher positions, and the necessity of more basic research to solve neurodegenerative diseases. As part of a three year term—president-elect, president, past president—Dr. Chao’s tenure will officially begin in November to coincide with the 40th annual “Neuroscience 2010” meeting in San Diego, California.

“The study of brain function addresses the most challenging questions in biomedical research, and Dr. Chao’s significant work in the field of neuroscience deserves to be recognized. We are proud to have him chosen as the next president of the SfN,” said Robert I. Grossman, MD, the Saul J. Farber Dean and CEO at NYU Langone Medical Center. “Dr. Chao’s many years of research and educating future neuroscience leaders makes him an excellent representative of his field and the SfN organization.”

Dr. Chao’s previous SfN positions held include secretary, chair of the Committee on Committees, senior editor of the Journal of Neuroscience, and chair of the Program Committee. He received his BA from Pomona College and his PhD from UCLA. Prior to joining NYU Langone Medical Center in 1998, Dr. Chao held a professorship in cell biology at Weill Cornell Medical College. A published author in many research publications, Dr. Chao has also served on numerous editorial boards including the Journal of Neuroscience, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience and the Journal of Biological Chemistry. As his research has centered on the mechanism of action of neurotrophic factors, Dr. Chao has been an advisory board member for many institutions, including the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, the Simons Foundation, the Vollum Institute and St. Jude’s Cancer Center. Dr. Chao is a recipient of a Zenith Award from the Alzheimer’s Association, a Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

About NYU Langone Medical Center:NYU Langone Medical Center is one of the nation's premier centers of excellence in healthcare, biomedical research, and medical education. For over 170 years, NYU physicians and researchers have made countless contributions to the practice and science of health care. Today the Medical Center consists of NYU School of Medicine, including the Smilow Research Center, the Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, and the Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences; and the NYU Hospitals Center, including Tisch Hospital, a 705-bed acute-care general hospital, Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, the first and largest facility of its kind, and NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, a leader in musculoskeletal care, a Clinical Cancer Center and numerous ambulatory sites.

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