Ralph W. Gerard Prize in Neuroscience

Nora D. Volkow, MD (center), of the National Institutes of Health and Allan Basbaum, PhD (right), of the University of California, San Francisco were awarded the Ralph W. Gerard Prize in Neuroscience in 2024.

The Ralph W. Gerard Prize in Neuroscience honors an outstanding scientist who has made significant contributions to neuroscience throughout his or her career.

The highest recognition conferred by SfN, the Gerard Prize is named for Dr. Ralph W. Gerard, a revered neuroscientist who was instrumental in establishing SfN and served as honorary president 1970-1974.

Recipients receive a $30,000 prize and complimentary registration, transportation (economy air or ground), and two nights hotel accommodations for the SfN annual meeting. The SfN President presents the prize at a lecture at the meeting.

For more information, please review the Awards and Prizes FAQs.

Nomination Criteria & Materials

Nomination Criteria:

• Nominations must be made or endorsed by an SfN member.
• Nominees do not need to be SfN members.
• Self-nomination is not permitted.
• No person may nominate more than one candidate.
• Current SfN officers and councilors are ineligible for nomination.
• Due to the potential conflicts of interest, members of the selection committee may not be the nominees and they cannot serve as nominators nor write letters of recommendation.

Nomination materials include the following:

• One nomination letter describing the nominee's contributions to the field and a maximum of two optional letters of recommendation
• One letter must include a summary of past, present, and future research (if applicable); maximum two pages
• Current CV

Eligibility

The award is open to all scientists with contributions to the field of neuroscience.

Past Awardees

• 2024: Allan Basbaum, PhD, and Nora D. Volkow, MD
• 2023: Michael Stryker, PhD
• 2022: Richard Huganir, PhD
• 2021: Jon Kaas, PhD, and Robert Desimone, PhD
• 2020: György Buzsáki, PhD
• 2019: Catherine Dulac, PhD, and Michael E. Greenberg, PhD
• 2018: Rodolfo Llinás, MD
• 2017: Mary Hatten, PhD
• 2016: Ben A. Barres, MD, PhD; Thomas M. Jessell, PhD
• 2015: Story Landis, PhD
• 2014: Roger Nicoll, MD; Richard Tsien, DPhil
• 2013: Carol A. Barnes, PhD
• 2012: Colin Blakemore, ScD, FRS
• 2011: Carla Shatz, PhD
• 2010: Ricardo Miledi, MD
• 2009: Lily Jan, PhD; Yuh Jan, PhD
• 2008: Mortimer Mishkin, PhD; Marcus Raichle, MD
• 2007: Friedrich Bonhoeffer; Nicole M. Le Douarin
• 2006: Horace Barlow, MD; Robert Wurtz, PhD
• 2005: Sten Grillner, MD; Eve Marder, PhD
• 2004: Masakzu Konishi, PhD; Nobuo Suga, PhD
• 2003: A. J. Hudspeth, MD, PhD
• 2002: Patricia Goldman-Rakic, PhD; Pasko Rakic, MD, PhD
• 2001: W. Maxwell Cowan, MD, PhD
• 2000: Solomon Snyder, MD
• 1999: Charles F. Stevens, MD, PhD
• 1998: Edward R. Perl, MD
• 1997: Eric R. Kandel, MD
• 1996: Louis Sokoloff, MD
• 1995: Hans Thoenen, MD; Eric M. Shooter, PhD
• 1994: Paul Greengard, PhD
• 1993: David H. Hubel, MD; Torsten N. Wiesel, MD
• 1992: Julius Axelrod, PhD
• 1991: Bert Sakmann; Erwin Neher, PhD
• 1990: Bernard Katz, PhD; Sanford L. Palay, MD
• 1989: Seymour Benzer, PhD
• 1988: Horace W. Magoun, PhD; Donald B. Lindsley, PhD
• 1987: Brenda Milner, PhD
• 1986: Seymour S. Kety, MD
• 1985: Viktor Hamburger, PhD; Rita Levi-Montalcini, MD
• 1984: Theodore H. Bullock, PhD; Susumu Hagiwara, MD, PhD
• 1983: Walle J. H. Nauta, MD, PhD
• 1982: Jerzy E. Rose, PhD; Clinton N. Woolsey, MD
• 1981: Herbert H. Jasper, MD, PhD
• 1980: Vernon Mountcastle, MD
• 1979: Roger W. Sperry, PhD
• 1978: Stephen W. Kuffler