Pankaj Sah is a neuroscientist who has made seminal contributions to understanding the function and neural connections of the amygdala, a region of the brain that has a central role in processing emotions. He defined the types and properties of neurons and identified interneurons within the amygdala, and found novel synaptic plasticity types, which have changed understanding of how interneurons regulate the amygdala, and emotional memory processing and storage. Sah’s work has resulted in fundamental new insights into anxiety-related disorder pathophysiology and therapeutic targets. The international reputation of the Queensland Brain Institute in neuroscience has grown under his leadership.