The Neurobiology Lab - Professor Max Bennett

Maxwell R. Bennett AO
Professor of Neuroscience,
University Chair,
Director Brain and Mind Research Institute,
University of Sydney


Maxwell Richard Bennett AO

Maxwell Bennett is Professor of Neuroscience and holds the first University Chair for ‘research recognized internationally to be of exceptional distinction’ He graduated in Electrical Engineering and did his doctoral research in Zoology at Melbourne University. He then turned to the brain sciences and was appointed to the second Personal Chair at Sydney University, after Lord May, at which time he was awarded the largest personal Centre of Research Excellence by the Australian Government. His over 300 papers are concerned with research on synaptic connections between nerve cells in the brain. This research led to the discovery that novel transmitters exist at synapses, the first to be identified in fifty years, for which he received the major award in biology and medicine in Australia, the Macfarlane Burnet Medal of the Academy of Sciences. His subsequent discovery that molecules exist at synapses which guide their reformation after nerve injury was recognized by an invitation to give the opening Plenary Lecture to the World Congress of Neuroscience in 1996 as well by appointment in 2000 as an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO). Professor Bennett has written seven books concerned with the history and philosophy of the brain and mind, of which the most recent are, with his colleague Peter Hacker, Philosophical Foundations of Neuroscience, Neuroscience and Philosophy and History of Cognitive Neuroscience. These have created much interest as indicated, for example, by a recent invitation to give a talk on this subject at the United Nations in New York on the date of 9/11. Amongst the organizations he has initiated to promote science and brain research are the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies, the main lobby group for science in Australia, the International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience, as well as Brain and Mind Research Asia/Pacific. Professor Bennett founded the Brain and Mind Research Institute seven years ago, and with the raising of over $75 million and four juxtaposed buildings, now has seventeen research professors concerned with the amelioration of diseases of the brain and mind.

 
- Table of Contents - 
Section 1:

Awards and Honours
Awards of the National Heart Foundation 
  for Excellence in Research
Recent Academic Appointments 
Recent Invited Lectures 
Recent Appointments to Boards and Councils 
Recent Government Appointments 
Recent National Symposia
Recent Presentations 
Initiation and Establishment of Organizations 
Degrees & Theses
International Committees
National Committees
Other National Committees 
Australian Academy of Sciences 
University of Sydney 

Recent Editorship of Journals
Books & Monographs

 
Section 2:

Citation - On being made Professor of Neuoscience.

 
Section 3:

Research Contributions - On the biophysics of synapse formation and function
Research Contributions - On the formation and function of synapses

Section 4:

Citation - On the award of a University Chair
Citation - On receiving a 'Tall Poppy' award for Research Excellence
Citation - On receiving the Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis Award
Citation - On completing 40 years of research at the University of Sydney
Grateful Acknowledgements

 
Section 5:
Publications
 
Section 6:
Grants
 

Neurobiology Lab
-Main Page-
The Lab
Current Research
Lab Members
Links & Info
Dept of Physiology
Faculty of Medicine


© University of Sydney,
2006


Section 1

Awards and Honours 
1981 Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)

1989-1991 President, Australian Neuroscience Society 

1996 Ramaciotti Medal (Ramaciotti Foundation) 

1999 Burnet Medal (Australian Academy of Science) 

2001 Officer, Order of Australia (AO) 

2001 Distinguished Achievement Medallion (Australian Neuroscience Society) 

2001-2003 President, International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience 

2001- University Chair (University of Sydney) 

2001 Excellence in Science (Tall Poppy) Award (Australian Institute of Political Science) 

2002 Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis Award 

2003 Centenary Medal 

Awards of the National Heart Foundation for Excellence in Research 
1996 Goddard Research Award 

1998 Renensson Research Award 

1999 Malcolm Research Award 

2000 Almgren Research Award 

2001 Almgren Research Award

Recent Academic Appointments 
1982 - 1990 Director, Special Research Centre of Excellence in Neurobiology (ARC), University of Sydney 

1983 - 2000 Professor of Physiology (Personal Chair), University of Sydney 

2001 - Professor of Neuroscience & University Chair, University of Sydney

2004 - Scientific Director, Brain and Mind Research Institute

Recent Invited Lectures 
1996 Opening Plenary Lecture, World Congress of Neuroscience (Kyoto) 

1999 Burnet Lecture, Australian Academy of Science (Canberra) 

1999 Cade Lecture, Mental Health Institute (Melbourne) 

2001 Sesquicentenary Lecture of the University of Sydney (Sydney) 

2001 Doyle Lecture, High Blood Pressure Research Council of Australia (Melbourne) 

2001 Plenary Lecture, International Conference, Research Society on Alcoholism (Montreal) 

2002 Featured Speaker, XIV World Congress of Cardiology (Sydney) 

2002 Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis Oration (Sydney) 

2005 Blandford Lecture, Eye and Cornea Australia (Sydney)

2005 Plenary Lecture, American Philosophical Association (New York)

2006 Keynote Speaker, International Congress of Neuropsychiatry (Sydney)

2007 Keynote Speaker, The Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (Brisbane)

2008 Plenary Lecture, World Congress in Medical Informatics (Brisbane)

2008 Plenary Lecture, International Congress in Nanotechnology (Perth)

2009 Plenary Lecture, World Congress of Mental Health Nurses (Sydney)

2009 Grass Lecture, Indian National Institute of Mental Health & Neuroscience (Bangalore)

2009 Invited Lecture, Nour Foundation (United Nations, NY)

Recent Appointments to Boards and Council

2009 - Templeton Foundation (Distinguished Senior Advisor)

2004 - Australian Brain Foundation (Director)

2004 - Brain and Mind Research Foundation (Member of Council)

2003 - Mental Health Research Institute (Member, Advisory Council) 

2003 - Brain and Mind Australia (Chair) 

2002 - Mental Health Council of Australia (Member of Council) 

2002-2004 - Neuroscience Australia Ltd (Director) 

2002 - Brain and Mind Research Institute (Director) 

2002-2006 - Institute for Biomedical Research (Member of Board) 

2001-2003 - International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience (Chair of Council) 

1996-2001 International Brain Research Organization (Member of Council) 

Recent Government Appointments 
2004 National Neuroscience Consultative Taskforce (DHA)

2003 National Research Infrastructure Task Force (DEST) Working Party 

2003 Brain and Mind Disorders (PMSEIC) 

2001-2007 Neuroscience and Neurology National Programs (NHMRC) 

Chair, Recent National & International Symposia 

2006 'Brain and Mind Research in the Asia/Pacific' (Sydney, Chair)

2005 'Genes, Neurons and Mental Illness' (Sydney, Chair)
(Implications of research in Neurology for the study of the Psychoses)


2004 'Genes, Neurons and Mental Illness' (Sydney Chair)

2004 'Endophenotypes and Mental Illness' (Sydney, Chair)
(Responding to The Challange of Youth Mental Health)

2003 'Genes, Neurons and Mental Illness' (Sydney, Chair) 

2002 'Genes, Neurons and Mental Illness' (Sydney, Chair) 

2000 'Mind and Brain', Australia's Science Future (Canberra, Chair) 

Recent Presentations 

2009 Australian Judges Conference

2008 Judicial Commission of Australia

2006 Environment Court of NSW

2005 Union Club, Sydney

2004  National Science Week Forum (St Michael's Church)

2004 'Troubled Minds: the Lithium Revolution' (SBS)

2003 Supreme Court of NSW 

2003 Union Club, Sydney 

2003 Portrait of Sir John Eccles (Science Show, Radio National) 

2002 Panel with Dalai Lama on Brain & Mind (ANU) 

2002 Brain and Mind (Science Show, Radio National) 

2002 Sesquicentenary Dinner, The University of Sydney 

Books & Monographs 
‘Autonomic Neuromuscular Transmission’  (1972)
Publisher: Cambridge University Press; ISBN 0521084636 

‘Optimising Research and Development in Australia’ (1987)  
Publisher: Australian Academy of Science; ISBN 0858471388 

‘The Idea of Consciousness: Synapses and the Mind’ (1997)  
Publisher: Harwood Academic; ISBN 9057022036 

‘History of the Synapse’ (2001)
Publisher: Harwood Academic; ISBN905823132  

'Philosophical Foundations of Neuroscience' (2003)  
Publisher: Blackwell; ISBN 1 4051 0855 X(with P.M.S.Hacker)

'Neuroscience and Philosophy : Brain, Mind and Lanugage' (2006)
Publisher: Columbia University Press (with D.Dennett, P.Hacker, J.Searle)

'History of Cognitive Neuroscience' (2008)
Publisher: Wiley/Blackwell; ISBN 9781405181822 (with PMS Hacker)


Degrees & Theses 

1963 Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) [University of Melbourne] 

1965 MSc Thesis [University of Melbourne], A study of transmission from autonomic nerves to smooth muscle 

1967 PhD Thesis [University of Melbourne], A study of transmission from autonomic nerves to smooth muscle 

1977 DSc [University of Sydney], Studies on synaptic transmission

Initiation and establishment of organizations 
1985  Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (FASTS)
http://www.fasts.org

1995 International Society for Autonomic Neuroscince (ISAN)
http://www.isanweb.org

1995 Institute for Biomedical Research (IBR)
http://www.ibr.usyd.edu.au

2001 Sydney University Neuroscience (SUN)
http://www.sun.med.usyd.edu.au

2002 Brain and Mind, Australia (BMA)
http://www.brainandmindaust.org

2003 Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI)
http://www.bmri.med.usyd.edu.au
International Committees 
International Union of Physiological Sciences, Scientific Committee (Member) 1980 - 1983 

International Brain Research Organization, Council (Member) 1989-1991 

International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience (ISAN), Inaugral Committee (Chair) 1994 - 1996 

World Congress of Neurosciences, Scientific Committee (Member) 1994 

International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience, Council (Executive President), 1996 - 1998 

International Catecholamine Conference, Scientific Committee (Member), 2000- 

International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience, President, 2001 - 2003 

National Committees 
Federation of Australian Scientific & Technological Societies [FASTS], Inaugral Committee (Chair) 1984 - 1986 

Australian Societies for Experimental Biology, Planning Committee for Bicentenary of Medical and Biological Sciences in Australia (Chair) 1985 - 1988 

Other National Committees 
Churchill Trust (NSW Panel) 2003- 

Australian Neural Networks Inaugural Conference (Co-Chair) 1990 

Australia Prize Committee (Member) 1992 

Australia Prize Sub-Committee (Member) 1995 

Australian Medial Research and Development Corporation (Advisory Member) 1992 - 1997 

Monash University Science Review (Member) 1992 

Australian National University Neuroscience Reviews (Chair) 1986, 1988, 1989 

Australian National University School of Biological Sciences Review (Member) 1986 

Australian National University John Curtin School Review (Member) 1988 

Australian National University Development Committee Reviews 1989 - 1992

Australian Academy of Sciences 
National Committee for Physiology (Chair) 1984 - 1986 

Annual General Meeting Symposium on Science and Society (Chair) 1986 

Frederick White Research Prize (Chair) 1989 

Sectional Committee 8 for Election (Chair) 1988 - 1989 

Science Policy Committee (Member) 1985 - 1995 

Australian Science and Technology Information Service (Member) 1988 - 1989 

Sectional Committees 6 and 8 for Election (Member) 1983 - 1987 

Boden Conference Research Committee (Member) 1988 - 1996 

Science and Industry Forum (Member) 1990 - 1993 

Science Policy Committee (NSW) (Member) 1991 - 1994 

Australian Human Frontiers Program Entry Committee (Member) 1989 - 1990

University of Sydney 
Institute for Biomedical Research (IBR), Inaugral Committee (Chair) 1995 - 1996 

Sydney University Neuroscience (SUN), Convenor 2000- 

Brain & Mind Research Institute (BMRI), Founder 2003

Recent Editorship of Journals 
Journal of the Autonomic Nervous System (Review Editor) 1997 - 

Neuroscience News (Associate Editor) 1997 - 

Progress in Neurobiology (Associate Editor) 1997 - 

NeuroReport (Editor) 2001 - 2004

Purinergic Mechanisms (Editor) 2005 -