Harold Atwood

Dr. Harold Leslie Atwood, presently Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto (B.A, University of Toronto, 1959; M.A., University of California at Berkeley, 1960; Ph.D., University of Glasgow, 1963; D.Sc., University of Glasgow, 1979) is recognized for his research on fundamental neuroscience questions such as the structure and diversity of nerve synapses and the long-term adaptive changes in synapses that influence animal behaviour. In addition to original research, he introduced new courses in neuroscience at the University of Toronto, and supervised many graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. He served as the Chair of the Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto for 10 years (1981-1991). He has received many honours, awards, and fellowships, among them a Guggenheim Fellowship at the Scripps Institute in California, election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Medical Research Council of Canada Distinguished Scientist award, and most recently an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Waterloo.