Rodolfo Llinás Riascos (born 16 December 1934) is a Colombian-born American
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 ...
. He is currently the Thomas and Suzanne Murphy Professor of Neuroscience and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Physiology & Neuroscience at the
NYU School of Medicine
NYU Grossman School of Medicine is a medical school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1841 and is one of two medical schools of the university, with the other being the Long Island School ...
. Llinás has published over 800
scientific articles
: ''For a broader class of literature, see Academic publishing.''
Scientific literature comprises scholarly publications that report original empirical and theoretical work in the natural and social sciences. Within an academic field, scient ...
.
Early life
Llinás was born in
Bogotá, Colombia. He is the son of Jorge Enrique Llinás (a
surgeon of Spanish descent, whose family arrived in Colombia at the end of the 19th century)
and Bertha Riascos. He was motivated to study the brain by watching his grandfather Pablo Llinás Olarte working as a
neuropsychiatrist
Neuropsychiatry or Organic Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that deals with psychiatry as it relates to neurology, in an effort to understand and attribute behavior to the interaction of neurobiology and social psychology factors. Within neuro ...
. Llinás describes himself as a
logical positivist
Logical positivism, later called logical empiricism, and both of which together are also known as neopositivism, is a movement in Western philosophy whose central thesis was the verification principle (also known as the verifiability criterion of ...
.
Education and early research
Llinás went to the
Gimnasio Moderno school in Bogotá and graduated as a
medical doctor from the
Pontifical Xavierian University
The Pontifical Xavierian University (in Spanish Pontificia Universidad Javeriana) is a private higher education institution founded in 1623. It is one of the oldest, most traditional, and prestigious Colombian universities, directed by the Soc ...
in 1959.
During his medical studies he had the opportunity to travel to Europe and there he met several researchers in Spain, France and finally Switzerland, where he participated in neurophysiology experiments with Dr.
Walter Rudolf Hess, Nobel Prize in Physiology, Medicine, professor and director of the Department of the Institute of Physiology of the
University of Zurich
The University of Zürich (UZH, german: Universität Zürich) is a public research university located in the city of Zürich, Switzerland. It is the largest university in Switzerland, with its 28,000 enrolled students. It was founded in 1833 f ...
. Additionally, while studying medicine he made a theoretical
thesis
A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...
on the
visual system
The visual system comprises the sensory organ (the eye) and parts of the central nervous system (the retina containing photoreceptor cells, the optic nerve, the optic tract and the visual cortex) which gives organisms the sense of sight (th ...
under the tuition of neurosurgeon and neurophysiologist Fernando Rosas and the mathematician Carlo Federici at the
National University of Colombia.
He received his
PhD in 1965 from the
Australian National University
The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies an ...
working under
Sir John Eccles
Sir John Carew Eccles (27 January 1903 – 2 May 1997) was an Australian neurophysiologist and philosopher who won the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on the synapse. He shared the prize with Andrew Huxley and Alan Llo ...
.
Personal life
By graduation in Australia, he was very interested in the
biological basis of the mind. During this time he met his future wife who was studying philosophy. His two sons, Drs. Rafael and Alexander Llinas, are also physicians. His wife, Gillian Llinas (née Kimber) is an Australian philosopher of mind.
Llinás was a
scientific advisor during the establishment of an interactive science museum located in Bogotá, Colombia called
Maloka Museum. Recently, Llinás has donated a
T-Rex
''Tyrannosaurus'' is a genus of large theropod dinosaur. The species ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' (''rex'' meaning "king" in Latin), often called ''T. rex'' or colloquially ''T-Rex'', is one of the best represented theropods. ''Tyrannosaurus'' live ...
skeleton to the museum and helped to design a model of the
nervous system
In biology, the nervous system is the highly complex part of an animal that coordinates its actions and sensory information by transmitting signals to and from different parts of its body. The nervous system detects environmental changes ...
for the dinosaur fossils.
Work
He has studied the electrophysiology of single neurons in the
cerebellum, the
thalamus
The thalamus (from Greek θάλαμος, "chamber") is a large mass of gray matter located in the dorsal part of the diencephalon (a division of the forebrain). Nerve fibers project out of the thalamus to the cerebral cortex in all directions, ...
, the
cerebral cortex
The cerebral cortex, also known as the cerebral mantle, is the outer layer of neural tissue of the cerebrum of the brain in humans and other mammals. The cerebral cortex mostly consists of the six-layered neocortex, with just 10% consistin ...
, the
entorhinal cortex
The entorhinal cortex (EC) is an area of the brain's allocortex, located in the medial temporal lobe, whose functions include being a widespread network hub for memory, navigation, and the perception of time.Integrating time from experience in the ...
, the
hippocampus
The hippocampus (via Latin from Greek , ' seahorse') is a major component of the brain of humans and other vertebrates. Humans and other mammals have two hippocampi, one in each side of the brain. The hippocampus is part of the limbic system, ...
, the
vestibular system, the
inferior olive
The inferior olivary nucleus (ION), is a structure found in the medulla oblongata underneath the superior olivary nucleus.Gado, Thomas A. Woolsey; Joseph Hanaway; Mokhtar H. (2003). The brain atlas a visual guide to the human central nervous syste ...
and the
spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone). The backbone encloses the central canal of the sp ...
. He has studied synaptic transmitter release in the
squid giant synapse
The squid giant synapse is a chemical synapse found in squid. It is the largest chemical junction in nature.
Anatomy
The squid giant synapse (Fig 1) was first recognized by John Zachary Young in 1939. It lies in the stellate ganglion on each s ...
. He has studied human brain function using
magnetoencephalography
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a functional neuroimaging technique for mapping brain activity by recording magnetic fields produced by electrical currents occurring naturally in the brain, using very sensitive magnetometers. Arrays of SQUIDs (s ...
(MEG) on the basis of which he introduced the concept of
Thalamocortical dysrhythmia
Thalamocortical dysrhythmia (TCD) is a theoretical framework in which neuroscientists try to explain the positive and negative symptoms induced by neuropsychiatric disorders like Parkinson's Disease, neurogenic pain, tinnitus, visual snow syndrom ...
.
Career
Llinás has occupied a number of positions.
*Research fellow, Massachusetts General Hosp.-
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 ...
, 1960–61
*National Institutes of Health research fellow in physiology,
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
, Minneapolis, 1961–63
*Associate professor, University Minnesota, Minneapolis, 1965–66
*Associate member, American Medical Association Institute Biomed. Research, Chicago, 1966–68
*Member, American Medical Association Institute Biomed. Research, Chicago, 1970
*Head neurobiology unit, American Medical Association Institute Biomed. Research, Chicago, 1967–70
*Associate professor neurology and psychiatry,
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
, 1967–71
*Guest professor physiology, Wayne State University, 1967–74
*Professorial lecturer pharmacology, University Ill.-Chgo., 1967–68
*Clinical professor, University Ill.-Chgo., 1968–72
*Professor physiology, head neurobiology div.,
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
, 1970–76
*Prof., chairman physiology and biophysics, New York University, New York City, 1976—2011
*Thomas and Suzanne Murphy professor neuroscience., New York University, 1985—
*University Professor, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology., New York University, 2011—
Contributions
Llinás is known for his many contributions to neuroscience, however, his most important contributions are the following:
* Discovery of dendritic inhibition in central neurons (at the mammalian
motoneuron
A motor neuron (or motoneuron or efferent neuron) is a neuron whose cell body is located in the motor cortex, brainstem or the spinal cord, and whose axon (fiber) projects to the spinal cord or outside of the spinal cord to directly or indirectly ...
).
* The functional organization of the
cerebellar cortex
The cerebellum (Latin for "little brain") is a major feature of the hindbrain of all vertebrates. Although usually smaller than the cerebrum, in some animals such as the mormyrid fishes it may be as large as or even larger. In humans, the cerebe ...
neuronal circuits.
* Defining cerebellar function from an evolutionary perspective.
* First description of electrical coupling in the mammalian CNS (
mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus
The mesencephalic nucleus of trigeminal nerve is involved with reflex proprioception of the periodontium and of the muscles of mastication in the jaw that functions to prevent biting down hard enough to lose a tooth. To subserve this reflex protec ...
).
* First determination of presynaptic calcium current, under voltage clamp, at the
squid giant synapse
The squid giant synapse is a chemical synapse found in squid. It is the largest chemical junction in nature.
Anatomy
The squid giant synapse (Fig 1) was first recognized by John Zachary Young in 1939. It lies in the stellate ganglion on each s ...
.
* Discovery that vertebrate neurons (cerebellar
Purkinje cell
Purkinje cells, or Purkinje neurons, are a class of GABAergic inhibitory neurons located in the cerebellum. They are named after their discoverer, Czech anatomist Jan Evangelista Purkyně, who characterized the cells in 1839.
Structure
T ...
) can generate calcium-dependent spikes.
* Proposal and Organization of NASA Neurolab Project that flew on April 17, 1998, Space Shuttle Columbia.
* Discovery of the
P-type calcium channel
The P-type calcium channel is a type of voltage-dependent calcium channel. Similar to many other high-voltage-gated calcium channels, the α1 subunit determines most of the channel's properties. The 'P' signifies cerebellar Purkinje cells, referri ...
in the Purkinje cells.
* Discovery of
low threshold spikes generated by low voltage activated calcium conductaces (presently known as due to
T-type calcium channel
T-type calcium channels are low voltage activated calcium channels that become inactivated during cell membrane hyperpolarization but then open to depolarization. The entry of calcium into various cells has many different physiological responses a ...
) in
inferior olive
The inferior olivary nucleus (ION), is a structure found in the medulla oblongata underneath the superior olivary nucleus.Gado, Thomas A. Woolsey; Joseph Hanaway; Mokhtar H. (2003). The brain atlas a visual guide to the human central nervous syste ...
and
thalamus
The thalamus (from Greek θάλαμος, "chamber") is a large mass of gray matter located in the dorsal part of the diencephalon (a division of the forebrain). Nerve fibers project out of the thalamus to the cerebral cortex in all directions, ...
neurons.
* A
tensor network model of the transformation of sensory space-time coordinates into motor coordinates by the cerebellum.
* Asserting the law of no interchangeability of neurons, which it is known as
Llinás' law.
* Direct demonstration of
calcium concentration microdomains at the presynaptic active zone.
* Utilization of
magnetoencephalography
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a functional neuroimaging technique for mapping brain activity by recording magnetic fields produced by electrical currents occurring naturally in the brain, using very sensitive magnetometers. Arrays of SQUIDs (s ...
in clinical research.
* Discovery of
subthreshold membrane potential oscillations in the inferior olive, thalamus and
entorhinal cortex
The entorhinal cortex (EC) is an area of the brain's allocortex, located in the medial temporal lobe, whose functions include being a widespread network hub for memory, navigation, and the perception of time.Integrating time from experience in the ...
.
* The discovery of
Thalamocortical dysrhythmia
Thalamocortical dysrhythmia (TCD) is a theoretical framework in which neuroscientists try to explain the positive and negative symptoms induced by neuropsychiatric disorders like Parkinson's Disease, neurogenic pain, tinnitus, visual snow syndrom ...
.
* Artificial olivo-cerebellar motor control system as part of the project BAUV (Undersea Vehicle) of the
US Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
developed by P. Bandyopadhyay.
Memberships and honors
Llinás is a member of the
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...
(1986
the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...
(1996
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...
(1996), the Real Academia Nacional de Medicina (Spain) (1996) and the
French Academy of Science
The French Academy of Sciences (French: ''Académie des sciences'') is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research. It was at t ...
(2002). Dr. Llinás has received
honorary degree
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...
s from the following universities:
*
Universidad de Salamanca (Spain) (1985)
*
Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain) (1993)
*
National University of Colombia (1994)
*
Universidad Complutense
The Complutense University of Madrid ( es, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; UCM, links=no, ''Universidad de Madrid'', ''Universidad Central de Madrid''; la, Universitas Complutensis Matritensis, links=no) is a public research university loca ...
, Madrid, Spain (1997)
*
Los Andes University (Colombia), Bogotá, Colombia, (1998)
*
Toyama University
The is a Japanese national university in Toyama Prefecture established in 1949. The University of Toyama has three campuses, namely the Gofuku, Sugitani, and Takaoka campuses.
The University of Toyama, Sugitani campus is the home to Institute ...
, Toyama, Japan (2005)
*
University of Pavia
The University of Pavia ( it, Università degli Studi di Pavia, UNIPV or ''Università di Pavia''; la, Alma Ticinensis Universitas) is a university located in Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. There was evidence of teaching as early as 1361, making it one ...
, Pavia, Italy (2006)
Dr. Llinás has received the following awards:
*
UNESCO Albert Einstein medal (1991)
*
Order of Boyaca
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
Awarded
President of Colombia
The president of Colombia ( es, Presidente de Colombia), officially known as the president of the Republic of Colombia ( es, Presidente de la República de Colombia) or president of the nation ( es, Presidente de la Nacion) is the head of stat ...
for exceptional service to Colombia (1992)
*
Bernard Katz Award Biohysical Society, Washington USA (201
*, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain (201
*
Cajal Diploma given by Queen Sofia of Spain Madrid, Spain (2013)
*
Ragnar Granit Lecture and Award, Nobel Institute, Stockholm, Sweden (2013)
*
Castilla del Pino Lecture and Award Cordoba, Spain (201
*
Nansen Neuroscience Lecture and award Norwegian Academy of Science, Oslo, Norway (201
*
Scholar of the Year Australian National University, Canberra, Australia (201
*
Ralph W. Gerard Prize in Neuroscience Society for Neuroscience
The Society for Neuroscience (SfN) is a professional society, headquartered in Washington, DC, for basic scientists and physicians around the world whose research is focused on the study of the brain and nervous system. It is especially well kn ...
, (2018
He was the chairman of
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...
/Neurolab Science Working Group, in 2011 received University Professor Distinction from New York Universit
and in 2013, the NYU Neuroscience Institute created the Annual Rodolfo Llinás Lecture Series in recognition of his contributions to the field of neuroscience.
Filmography
* Llinas, el cerebro y el universo. Documentary film, by Gonzalo Argandoña, Cabala Producción Audiovisual, (2018) RTVCpla
Selected bibliography
Llinás is the author of more than 20 book chapters and has edited several books on neuroscience.
Books
*Hubbard, J.I., Llinás, R. and Quastel, D.M.J. ''Electrophysiological Analysis of Synaptic Transmission''. London: Edward Arnold Publishers 1969.
*Llinás, R. Editor. ''Neurobiology of Cerebellar Evolution and Development''. (Chicago: Am. Med. Association, 1969)
*Precht, W., Llinás, R. (eds.): ''Frog Neurobiology: a handbook''. (Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1976).
*Steriade, M., Jones, E., y Llinás, R (Eds.): ''Thalamic Oscillations and Signaling''. The Neurosciences Institute Publications Series. (John Wiley & Sons, 1990).
*Llinás, R. y Sotelo, C (eds.): ''The Cerebellum Revisited''. (Nueva York: Springer-Verlag, 1992).
*Buzsaki, G., Llinas, R., Singer, W., Berthoz, A., Christen, Y. (eds.): ''Temporal Coding in the Brain''. (Nueva York: Springer-Verlag, 1994).
*Latorre, R., López-Barneo, J., Bezanilla, F., Llinás, R. (Eds) Biofísica y fisiología celular. (Universidad de Sevilla, España, 1996).
*Llinás, Rodolfo R. and Churchland, Patricia S. ''Mind-Brain Continuum: Sensory Processes'' The MIT Press (September 9, 1996)
*Llinás, Rodolfo R. ''The Squid Giant Synapse : A Model for Chemical Transmission'' Oxford University Press, USA (December 15, 1999)
*Llinás, Rodolfo. ''El reto: Educación, Ciencia y Tecnología''. Tercer Mundo Editores, (2000)
*Llinás, R. ''
I of the vortex: from neurons to self'' (MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. 2001).
Book chapters
*Llinas R, Rivary U. Perception as an oneiric-like state modulated by the senses. Chapter 6. In: Koch C. Large-scale neuronal theories of the brain. Bradford Book. (1994).
*Llinas RR., Walton KD. Cerebellum. Chapter 7. In: Shepherd GM. The synaptic organization of the brain. 4th Ed. New York: Oxford University Press. (1998)
*Llinas RR., Walton KD., Lang EJ. Cerebellum. Chapter 7. In: Shepherd GM. The synaptic organization of the brain. 5th Ed. Oxford University Press. (2004)
*Llinas, R. R. Neuroscientific basis of consciousness and dreaming. Chapter 3.6. In: Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive textbook of psychiatry. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 8th ed. (2005).
*Llinás, R. Electrophysiology of the Cerebellar Networks. Comprehensive Physiology (2011). Supplement 2. Handbook of Physiology, The Nervous System, Motor Control.
*Llinas RR., Walton K. Central pain: a thalamic deafferentation generating thalamocortical dysrhythmia. Chapter 4. In: Saab CY. Chronic pain and brain abnormalities. Academic Press-Elsevier (2014).
*Llinas, RR. Oscillation in the inferior olive neurons: Functional implication. Chapter 39. pp. 293–298. In: Essentials of Cerebellum and Cerebellar Disorders: A Primer for Graduate Students. Springer (2016)
*Llinas, R. R. Consciousness and Dreaming from a Pathophysiological Perspective: The Thalamocortical Dysrhythmia Syndrome. Chapter 3.5. In: Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive textbook of psychiatry. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 10th ed. (2017).
Selected review articles
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
References
External links
NYU Neurophysiology website about Rodolfo LlinásNYU Medicine faculty website about Rodolfo Llinás*
Newspaper articles
Estrella de la sabiduría en la Universidad NacionalTribute at National University of Colombia
Enter the "I" of the Vortex''The Science Network'' interview with Rodolfo Llinás
The New York Times December 8, 2008
The New York Times October 26, 1999
The New York Times May 27, 1997
announcement of election to the
ational Academy of Sciences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Llinas, Rodolfo
Colombian neuroscientists
Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
1934 births
Living people
People from Bogotá
American neuroscientists
American atheists
New York University Grossman School of Medicine faculty
Pontifical Xavierian University alumni
Australian National University alumni
Members of the French Academy of Sciences
History of neuroscience
Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Members of the American Philosophical Society
American people of Colombian descent
Colombian atheists
Hispanic and Latino American scientists