CAMBRIDGE, MA. March 20, 2006 -- Michael Greenberg, a leading researcher at Childrens Hospital/Harvard Medical School, is the recipient of the McGovern Institute's third annual Edward M. Scolnick Prize in Neuroscience, which recognizes an outstanding discovery or significant advance in the field of neuroscience. Dr. Greenberg, who directs the Program in Neurobiology within the Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School Department of Neurology, is widely regarded as a world leader in molecular neurobiology who has made seminal discoveries that have resulted in entirely new avenues of investigation in neural development and the search for new treatments or neurological disorders.

"Dr. Greenberg exemplifies the intersection of basic neuroscience research with areas that will clearly impact the effort to alleviate the human suffering brought on by brain diseases," comments Dr. Desimone. "Thousands of laboratories worldwide are working on the discoveries Dr. Greenberg has made."

"His accomplishments have been critical for understanding molecular bases for the major events in neural development, the neural responses to injury and disease, and, perhaps most importantly, the potential for interventions for treatment or cure," wrote Dr. Joseph Volpe, who chairs the Children's/HMS Department o Neurology, in his nominating letter.

Dr. Greenberg researches the mechanisms by which neurotrophic factors and neurotransmitters act through cell surface receptors to regulate transcriptional responses that are critical for nervous system development and function. Recently, he has been investigating the effects of extracellular factors and intracellular signaling pathways on the processes of axon guidance, cell fate determination, synaptic development, and neuronal survival within the developing and adult nervous system.

The McGovern Institute will award the Scolnick Prize TO Dr. Greenberg on April 25, 2006. Dr. Greenberg will present a public lecture entitled "Signaling Networks that Control Synapse Development and Cognitive Function" from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., followed by reception, at the McGovern Institute in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Complex, 77 Main Street (building 46) in Cambridge. The event is free and open to the public.

The Scolnick Prize, awarded annually by the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, provides an important focus for the international neuroscience community, building bridges that will promote future collaborations and an accelerated pace of neuroscience research. It consists of an award equal to $50,000 and is awarded each year to one recipient.

The award is named in honor of Dr. Edward M. Scolnick who stepped down as President of Merck Research Laboratories in December 2002, after holding Merck's top research post for 17 years.

About the McGovern Institute at MIT

The McGovern Institute at MIT is a research and teaching institute committed to advancing human understanding and communications. The goal of the McGovern Institute is to investigate and ultimately understand the biological basis of all higher brain function in humans. The McGovern Institute conducts integrated research in neuroscience, genetic and cellular neurobiology, cognitive science, computation, and related areas.

By determining how the brain works, from the level of gene expression in individual neurons to the interrelationships between complex neural networks, the McGovern Institute's efforts work to improve human health, discover the basis of learning and recognition, and enhance education and communication. The McGovern Institute contributes to the most basic knowledge of the fundamental mysteries of human awareness, decisions, and actions.

For additional information, please go to http://web.mit.edu/mcgovern

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