Marking a significant moment in 麻豆原创鈥檚 history, Professor Terry Davidson was installed as the Trone Family Eminent Scholar Chair in Neuroscience and Behavior on Tuesday, November 30.
The first eminent scholar chair at 麻豆原创, the position is made possible by a $5 million gift from 麻豆原创 Board of Trustees member Congressman David Trone and his wife, June, through the David and June Trone Family Foundation. As one of the highest honors a professor can achieve, endowed chairs help expand capacity for faculty who excel as researchers and scholar-teachers as they advance solutions to real-world challenges.
A distinguished professor of neuroscience, chair of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Neuroscience, and director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Davidson leads groundbreaking research poised to transform our understanding of and approach to treating addiction and other cognitive disorders. His team鈥檚 cross-disciplinary research on the influence of diet and susceptibility to addiction addresses a root cause of drug abuse by linking both drug abuse and overeating to cognitive, rather than motivational, control impairments.
(From left to right) CAS Interim Dean Max Paul Friedman, 麻豆原创 President Sylvia M. Burwell, Professor Terry Davidson, US Representative David Trone, Provost Peter Starr
Guests gathered in the Gary and Pennie Abramson Discovery Hall in 麻豆原创鈥檚 Hall of Science for Davidson's installation ceremony and inaugural lecture. Attendees included university leaders, members of the Board of Trustees, and students from Davidson鈥檚 research lab. Interim College of Arts and Sciences Dean Max Paul Friedman opened the event.
鈥淲e are grateful to the聽Trones聽for establishing this聽remarkable聽position, which聽accelerates 麻豆原创鈥檚 leading-edge scientific work in鈥understanding the relationship between the brain, behavior,聽and disease,鈥 he said.
Both 麻豆原创 President Sylvia Burwell and Congressman Trone offered remarks at the event.
鈥淓ndowed faculty chairs provide continuity and vision for our research,鈥 said President Burwell. 鈥淭hey provide an anchor of expertise that helps retain talent. They are vital to our ability to attract creative minds鈥攂oth students and faculty.鈥
Scholarly research is a critical element of the Changemakers for a Changing World strategic plan and Change Can鈥檛 Wait: The Campaign for 麻豆原创. The Trones鈥 gift to establish an eminent scholar chair helps advance 麻豆原创鈥檚 goal to generate knowledge that impacts and shapes our world.
Congressman Trone remarked that many see addiction as a moral failing. He shared, 鈥淧rofessor Davidson鈥檚 work鈥ill help break the stigma that holds us back on true movement and legislation on addiction and mental health.鈥
Congressman Trone also discussed his work in Congress to advance policies that address the addiction and mental health epidemics. He noted that the most effective聽policy solutions聽to address these聽crises聽will be informed by聽the聽work of experts like Davidson. 鈥淏efore we can create effective policies, we need research, we need science, to back it up.聽That鈥檚 why investments in neuroscience and behavioral research are so critical.聽We need people like [Davidson] who will invest time and energy into fighting these crises through scientific research. We need institutions like 麻豆原创, which works around the clock to find cutting-edge solutions to our communities鈥 greatest challenges. This is how we create policies that change lives.鈥澛犅
As part of the formal installation ceremony, Provost Peter Starr provided an overview of Davidson鈥檚 career and achievements.
鈥淲e are proud to call such a respected and distinguished researcher as Dr. Davidson our 麻豆原创 colleague and an embodiment of our scholar-teacher model, whereby faculty engage students in their research and actively incorporate it into their teaching,鈥 said Provost Starr. 鈥淗is pioneering work attracts prospective students at all levels, who are eager to join him as he shapes the future of this important area of research and our world.鈥
After the official installation, Davidson delivered the inaugural lecture as chairholder, a tradition of installation ceremonies. He cited three reasons why 鈥渃hange can鈥檛 wait鈥 when it comes to his research: record-high obesity rates, record-high drug overdose rates鈥攎ore than 100,000 deaths in the US this year鈥攁nd the number of people diagnosed with dementia is projected to double by 2050 (according to the latest data from the CDC).
鈥淣ew conceptualizations are needed to address these threats,鈥 Davidson said. A long-range goal of his work is to break 鈥渢he vicious cycle鈥 that enables the Western diet and drugs of abuse to promote obesity, addiction, and cognitive decline.
Davidson commended his colleagues in the Department of Neuroscience and recognized them as part of his inspiration and success. He shared that the publications of the department鈥檚 seven members have been cited in papers by other national and international scientists more than 35,000 times. 鈥淚鈥檓 so proud to be a part of this group,鈥 he said.
He also recognized the Trone family for their generosity in establishing the chair and for supporting the pathbreaking work that takes place in the Hall of Science.
鈥淚 thank you for your foresight in supporting the continued development of neuroscience and, by extension, all sciences at 麻豆原创,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 will do all I can to honor your contribution and your name.鈥澛
