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(Ofer b chaser. Jut 24 1978

MEMO TO FILE

Interview with John Nichols and Eric Shooter on Neurobiology at Rockefeller
ed

 

Their basic comment was that there was no clear focus of excellence
and innovation at the present time compared to past years. They suggested:

1. A visiting committee

2. Particular consultants like Torstin Wiesel, Steve Kuffler,
Charles Stevens (now at Yale formerly at Rockefeller). Stevens they thought
might be somewhat more biophysical than we need.

Some particular people as instances of who might be recruited: Paul
Patterson, Harvard, now associate professor - development of sympathetic
nervous system and differentiation of specific transmitter.

Alberto Aguayo, Montreal, concerned about the problems of Quebec - a
senior person who would move with a group. Magnificent in mylin synthesis,
also strong clinical, neurological connections.

Ira Black, who is already at CUMC, works on NGF and nervous system
development and would be much interested in clinical connections. Perhaps
a candidate for avjoint appointment in the hospital.

They commented, however, that collaboration hopefully would be better
externally than it is internally: They saw very little intercommunication
between the major groups.

Graffstein works at Cornell on the transfer of large molecules across
synapses: For example, proteins from eye to cortex. Used now to trace
pathways but might have deeper biological significance. Steve Waxman and
Jerry Posner are other young people of some consequence probably coming to
Stanford.

The best ultrastructuralist they know is Ray Gillery who has just gone
to Chicago.

Gayle Purvis, now at Washington University, St. Louis.

Aguayo has a substantial group and would be a way of setting up an
entire program all at once.

Blobel would be very much worth consulting for his adivce.

I expressed my own concern about whom to rely upon that wouldn't be
caught into their existing affiliation network.