Sir John Eccles is internationally recognised for his remarkable and outstanding impact on the neurosciences. He carried out his research in Oxford, Sydney, Dunedin, Canberra, Chicago and Buffalo.
His numerous scientific papers and books, arising from detailed and pioneering experimental studies of synaptic mechanisms and the organisation of neurons in the mammalian central nervous system, continue to have a major influence on brain research. His writings on the mind–brain interaction generated wide interest and debate.
Eccles also made his mark as an administrator, particularly at the Australian National University and the Australian Academy of Science, of which he was a Foundation Fellow and the second President.
Find out more about Professor Sir John Eccles in his biographical memoir
Date: Tuesday 10 December 2024
Time: 5.30pm – 6.00pm at the venue for refreshments, followed by the talks 6.00pm – 7.00pm AEDT
Venue: The Shine Dome Canberra, and online livestream
Cost: $17 to attend in person, free online
Emeritus Professor Stephen Redman was a Professor of Neuroscience at the Australian National University, until he retired in 2007. He started his research career in electrical engineering before switching to neuroscience and receiving his PhD in this field in 1963. He worked directly with Professor Eccles during his time at ANU and the John Curtin School of Medical Research.
Professor Redman’s research achievements centre on the electrical behaviour of neurons, the role of dendrites in the integration of synaptic signalling, and the probabilistic release of neurotransmitter at synapses. He showed that the strength of a synapse is independent of its location on the surface of the neuron, and that the electrical properties of dendritic membranes dominate the neuron’s electrical responses. He discovered that the release of neurotransmitter at synapses in the central nervous system is probabilistic, and that probabilities of transmitter release are modified by the past history of activation of the synapse. This has provided clues for how we make memories.
Professor Redman was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1983.
Professor Lucy Palmer is an ARC Future Fellow and NHMRC Investigator who heads the Neural Network Laboratory and Synaptic Biology Theme at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne.
She completed her Master of Science at the University of Minnesota, USA and PhD at the Australian National University, and was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bern, Switzerland and Charite University, Berlin. Her research uses advanced techniques to investigate brain function, focusing on learning and memory formation in health and disease.
The Australian Academy of Science’s public speaker series in 2024, our 70th anniversary year, is looking at our history and into our future.
In each instalment, we follow the story of one scientific discipline, with an Academy Fellow and an early-career researcher as our expert guides.
Across geology, virology, astronomy and more, we trace our science history from landmark discoveries to the present cutting edge of Australian science.
Along the way, we get to know the Academy’s iconic earliest Fellows who shaped Australian science. We experience the challenges and curly conundrums they grappled with, celebrate their triumphs and breakthroughs, and look ahead to today’s emerging generation of top minds following in their footsteps.
To view the recordings of all the events, visit the series webpage.
events@science.org.au
Sir John Eccles is internationally recognised for his remarkable and outstanding impact on the neurosciences. He carried out his research in Oxford, Sydney, Dunedin, Canberra, Chicago and Buffalo.
His numerous scientific papers and books, arising from detailed and pioneering experimental studies of synaptic mechanisms and the organisation of neurons in the mammalian central nervous system, continue to have a major influence on brain research. His writings on the mind–brain interaction generated wide interest and debate.
Eccles also made his mark as an administrator, particularly at the Australian National University and the Australian Academy of Science, of which he was a Foundation Fellow and the second President.
Date: Tuesday 10 December 2024
Time: 5.30pm – 6.00pm at the venue for refreshments, followed by the talks 6.00pm – 7.00pm AEDT
Venue: The Shine Dome Canberra, and online livestream
Cost: $17 to attend in person, free online
Emeritus Professor Stephen Redman was a Professor of Neuroscience at the Australian National University, until he retired in 2007. He started his research career in electrical engineering before switching to neuroscience and receiving his PhD in this field in 1963. He worked directly with Professor Eccles during his time at ANU and the John Curtin School of Medical Research.
Professor Redman’s research achievements centre on the electrical behaviour of neurons, the role of dendrites in the integration of synaptic signalling, and the probabilistic release of neurotransmitter at synapses. He showed that the strength of a synapse is independent of its location on the surface of the neuron, and that the electrical properties of dendritic membranes dominate the neuron’s electrical responses. He discovered that the release of neurotransmitter at synapses in the central nervous system is probabilistic, and that probabilities of transmitter release are modified by the past history of activation of the synapse. This has provided clues for how we make memories.
Professor Redman was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 1983.
Professor Lucy Palmer is an ARC Future Fellow and NHMRC Investigator who heads the Neural Network Laboratory and Synaptic Biology Theme at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne.
She completed her Master of Science at the University of Minnesota, USA and PhD at the Australian National University, and was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bern, Switzerland and Charite University, Berlin. Her research uses advanced techniques to investigate brain function, focusing on learning and memory formation in health and disease.
The Australian Academy of Science’s public speaker series in 2024, our 70th anniversary year, is looking at our history and into our future.
In each instalment, we follow the story of one scientific discipline, with an Academy Fellow and an early-career researcher as our expert guides.
Across geology, virology, astronomy and more, we trace our science history from landmark discoveries to the present cutting edge of Australian science.
Along the way, we get to know the Academy’s iconic earliest Fellows who shaped Australian science. We experience the challenges and curly conundrums they grappled with, celebrate their triumphs and breakthroughs, and look ahead to today’s emerging generation of top minds following in their footsteps.
To view the recordings of all the events, .
events@science.org.au
© 2024 Australian Academy of Science
