Russell Dawson Fernald

I combine ethological and neurobiological studies of an African cichlid fish model system to understand how social interactions affect the brain. Recognized that for fish, vision was essential for survival, despite continuing eye growth. Discovered that new rod photoreceptors were added continuously to the retina and how, despite continued lens grouth, a high-quality lens was maintained. This led to the Rank Prize for optoelectronics and vision. Investigated how social interactions change the brain, making numerous discoveries about how social information is transduced into cellular and molecular changes. Study of reproduction has shown that social interactions regulate neuronal size and interconnections in the brain and that these changes are initiated at the molecular level by recognition of social opportunity. Research at multiple levels from behavior to molecules has been recognized by Research Career Development, Fogarty fellowship, Javits awards (NIH) and the Rank Prize.