Nick Spitzer, Ph.D.
Administrative Accomplishments
I have served as Chair of my department several times (1988-1990, 1992-1993, 1999-2003), Co-Chair and then Chair of the UCSD Academic Senate (1993-1995) and as Co-Chair of the Task Force to Promote Establishment of the Preuss Charter School at UCSD. I have chaired a number of SfN committees (2005, 2011, 2015, 2018), was the director of an NINDS T32 training grant (1980-2020), was founding co-director and later, director of the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind at UCSD (2004-2020), and founding editor-in-chief of SfN’s BrainFacts.org (2011-2014). These administrative activities reflect my interest in working with people to achieve shared objectives.
Degree, Institute, Year Earned
| Degree | Institute | Year Earned |
| B.A. Biology |
Harvard College | 1964 |
| Ph.D. Neurobiology | Harvard University | 1969 |
Research Areas
For the last twenty years I have focused my research on...
- Regulation of behavior by changes in transmitter identity in the brain and
- Regulation of neurotransmitter identity by electrical activity
My earlier research was concerned with...
- Mechanisms of differentiation of neuronal excitability
- The role of neuronal excitability and calcium signaling in neuronal differentiation
- The role of electrical activity in axon growth and guidance during development
Current Position(s) at Your Current Institution
- Atkinson Family Distinguished Professor, Neurobiology Department, UC San Diego
Memberships
| Organization | Position Held | Year(s) |
| Society for Neuroscience | Member | 1972-present |
| Finance Committee – Member | 2022-present | |
| Ralph W. Gerard Prize Selection Committee – Chair | 2015-2018 | |
| Nemko Prize Selection Committee – Chair | 2018 | |
| Nominating Committee – Member | 2014-2018 | |
| Committee on Committees – Member | 2014-2018 | |
| Public Education & Communication Committee – Ex Officio | 2011-2014 | |
| Brainfacts.Org Advisory Group – Chair | 2011-2012 | |
| Next Generation Award Selection Committee – Member | 2007-2009 | |
| Public Education & Communication Committee – Incoming Chair, Chair | 2005-2009 | |
| Young Investigator Award Selection Committee – Member | 2005-2006 | |
| Council – Councilor | 2000-2004 | |
| Education Committee – Member | 1999-2002 | |
| Committee on Women in Neuroscience – Member | 1999-2000 | |
| Ad Hoc Women Committee – Member | 1996-1999 | |
| Public Information Committee – Member | 1994-1997 | |
| Social Issues Committee – Member | 1988-1991 | |
| Program Committee – Member | 1984-1987 | |
| National Academy of Sciences | Member | 2013- |
| Pradel Research Award Committee – Chair | 2017-2019 | |
| American Academy of Arts and Sciences | Member | 2002 |
| American Association for the Advancement of Science | Member | 2001 |
Service Positions
Editorial Boards:
| Publication | Position Held | Year(s) |
| BrainFacts.org | Senior Editor | 2018-2019 |
| Editor-in-Chief | 2011-2014 | |
| Neural Development | Editorial Board Member | 2006-2012 |
| Journal of Neurobiology | Editorial Board Member | 1986-1990 |
Other Service Positions:
| Organization | Position Held | Year(s) |
| Grass Foundation | Trustee | 1998-2002 |
| March of Dimes Basic Science Advisory Committee | Member | 1994-2000 |
| NIH NINDS Council | Member | 1993-1996 |
| NIH Neurological Disorders Study Section | Member | 1988-1992 |
| NIH Neurology B Study Section | Member | 1980-1984 |
Science Biography
My research bridges systems neuroscience and cellular/molecular neuroscience, as my colleagues and I work to understand how changes in behavior are regulated by changes in the neurotransmitters that neurons express – a process known as neurotransmitter switching. Behavioral responses to change in the duration of the photoperiod (day length) result from switching between dopamine and somatostatin in the rat hypothalamus (Dulcis et al., Science 2013). Enhanced motor skill learning following wheel running results from transmitter switching from acetylcholine to GABA in the mouse midbrain (Li & Spitzer, Nature Communications 2020). We have recently found that generalized fear in response to footshock results from switching between glutamate and GABA in the mouse dorsal raphe (Li et al. Science 2024), and that cognitive deficits in response to sustained administration of phencyclidine or methamphetamine result from the same glutamate-to-GABA switch in the mouse prelimbic cortex (Pratelli et al., in re-review). Changes in neurotransmitter identity are accompanied by matching changes in postsynaptic receptors (Borodinsky & Spitzer, 2007; Dulcis & Spitzer, 2008; Dulcis et al., 2013). The changes in behavior appear to result from changing excitatory synapses into inhibitory synapses (or vice versa). The changes in both behavior and transmitter-and-receptor identity in response to adverse stimuli are sustained for long periods. This newly appreciated plasticity within the nervous system is expected to be helpful in understanding how behaviors change in mental illness. This work was recognized by the Karl Spencer Lashley Award from the American Philosophical Society in 2022.
The full CV for this candidate can be found within the ballot.
