Paul H. Patterson (October 22, 1943 – June 25, 2014) was a

neuroscientist A neuroscientist (or neurobiologist) is a scientist who has specialised knowledge in neuroscience, a branch of biology that deals with the physiology, biochemistry, psychology, anatomy and molecular biology of neurons, neural circuits, and glial ...

and the Anne P. and Benjamin F. Biaggini Professor of Biological Sciences at the

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

Life and work

Paul Patterson was born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

, to Paul and Marge Patterson. His uncle,

Clair Patterson Clair Cameron Patterson (June 2, 1922 – December 5, 1995) was an American geochemist. Born in Mitchellville, Iowa, Patterson graduated from Grinnell College. He later received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and spent his entire prof ...

, was a scientist who influenced Paul’s future career. He grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, moved to Minnesota during high school, and attended

Grinnell College Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, United States. It was founded in 1846 when a group of New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College. Grinnell has the fifth highest endowment-to-stu ...

for his undergraduate studies. He completed his PhD in biology at

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...

with William Lennarz in 1970. He then moved to

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

as a post-doctoral scholar, and was promoted to assistant professor of neuroscience at the

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...

. He worked on the functioning of

neuron A neuron, neurone, or nerve cell is an electrically excitable cell that communicates with other cells via specialized connections called synapses. The neuron is the main component of nervous tissue in all animals except sponges and placozoa. ...

s, showing that the brain is in fact “

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...

” and the functions of neurons can be changed by their environment and stimulation. In 1983, he joined the California Institute of Technology as a professor of neuroscience. He continued his work on the mutability of the peripheral nervous system, discovering the role that the

leukemia inhibitory factor Leukemia inhibitory factor, or LIF, is an interleukin 6 class cytokine that affects cell growth by inhibiting differentiation. When LIF levels drop, the cells differentiate. Function LIF derives its name from its ability to induce the terminal ...

("LIF"), a

cytokine Cytokines are a broad and loose category of small proteins (~5–25 kDa) important in cell signaling. Cytokines are peptides and cannot cross the lipid bilayer of cells to enter the cytoplasm. Cytokines have been shown to be involved in autocrin ...

previously identified based on its

immunological Immunology is a branch of medicineImmunology for Medical Students, Roderick Nairn, Matthew Helbert, Mosby, 2007 and biology that covers the medical study of immune systems in humans, animals, plants and sapient species. In such we can see there ...

function, played in

brain function A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a ver ...

. This discovery led to him being known as a “neuroimmunologist.” Paul co-edited a book called "The Origins of Schizophrenia" in 2011. He also published a book on neuroimmunology, ''Infectious Behavior: Brain-Immune Connections in Autism,

Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social wit ...

and Depression'', and continued to blog on topics related to these fields until his death in June 2014. Throughout his career, he focused on human diseases, such as Huntington's Disease (HD), Parkinson's Disease, and Alzheimers. He was on the scientific board for the Hereditary Disease Foundation for almost 30 years. He received research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In addition, he received research funding from non-profit organizations such as

Autism Speaks Autism Speaks Inc. is a controversial autism advocacy organization and the largest autism research organization in the United States. It sponsors autism research and conducts awareness and outreach activities aimed at families, governments, an ...

, the

McKnight Foundation The McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based family foundation, advances a more just, creative, and abundant future where people and planet thrive. Established in 1953, the McKnight Foundation is deeply committed to advancing climate solutions in ...

, the Simons Foundation, the

Hereditary Disease Foundation The Hereditary Disease Foundation (HDF) aims to cure genetic disorders, notably Huntington's disease, by supporting basic biomedical research. History In 1968, after experiencing Huntington's disease (HD) in his wife's family, Milton Wexler wa ...

, and private donors. He was committed to training young scientists and doctors. He established the MD/PhD programs between Caltech and USC, and Caltech and UCLA. He spearheaded training programs at Caltech for the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), obtaining grants to support students researching stem cell science from neighboring institutions such as Pasadena City College, Cal Poly Pomona and CSULA.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Patterson, Paul 1943 births 2014 deaths American neuroscientists Autism researchers Autoimmune diseases California Institute of Technology faculty Grinnell College alumni Harvard Medical School faculty Huntington's disease Johns Hopkins University alumni Schizophrenia researchers Scientists from Chicago