Floyd Bloom
Floyd Bloom, who died on January 8, 2025, was a towering figure in both neuroscience and the scientific community as a whole. As Editor-in-Chief of Science from 1995 to 2000, he presided over a transformative period in which the journal embraced the digital age, expanding its reach and impact while advocating for open access and the sharing of data. His groundbreaking contributions to neuropharmacology and the understanding of neurotransmitters were only part of his legacy. Through his leadership, mentorship, and pioneering research, Bloom left an indelible mark on the scientific world, one that continues to inspire new generations.
Early on, Bloom’s research helped establish the roles of monoamines, particularly norepinephrine, as transmitters in the brain. He and colleagues went on to lead the way in combining anatomical, physiological, and pharmacological tools to elucidate the function of neurotransmitters at the cellular level. He was a coauthor of his field’s defining textbook, The Biochemical Basis of Neuropharmacology. Bloom’s work earned him many awards and prizes, as well as election to such organizations as the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine (then the Institute of Medicine), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. In 1976–1977, Bloom served as one of the first presidents of the Society for Neuroscience. He also was president of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS, the publisher of Science). He served as Editor-in-Chief of Science and of Brain Research. Bloom’s ability to translate complex science into accessible language made him a popular witness before US Congressional committees and an emissary to the broader public.
Recognizing the potential of information and computer technologies for accelerating scientific progress, he was one of the planners of the National Institutes of Health’s Human Brain Project in the 1990s, a forerunner of the current BRAIN Initiative, which is developing new technologies to advance neuroscience knowledge and application. He cofounded the company Neurome, Inc. to accelerate therapeutic development for neurodegenerative diseases.
Read more about Bloom's distinguished career in an editorial from Science.org and an obituary from The Transmitter.
