Paul Patterson (neuroscientist)
{{Short description|Neuroscientist (1943–2014)}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Paul Patterson
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| image = Paul H. Patterson, neuroscientist, at home in Altadena, California, USA, in October, 2007.jpg
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| caption = Patterson in 2007
| birth_date = {{birth date|1943|10|22}}
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, US
| death_date = {{death date and age|2014|06|25|1943|10|22}}
| death_place = Altadena, California, US
| resting_place = UCLA Medical School
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| nationality = American
| fields = Neuroscience, neuroimmunology
| workplaces = Harvard University,
California Institute of Technology
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| alma_mater = Grinnell College
Johns Hopkins University
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| doctoral_advisor = William Lennarz
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| doctoral_students = Elaine Hsiao{{cite thesis|degree=PhD|doi=10.7907/DEVQ-1P16|first=Elaine Yih-Nien|last= Hsiao|oclc=1014494786|url=https://thesis.library.caltech.edu/7337/|website=caltech.edu|year=2013|title=Brain, Gut and Immune Interactions in Autism Spectrum Disorder }}
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| spouse = Carolyn Patterson
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| children = Paul Clair Patterson
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}}
Paul H. Patterson (October 22, 1943 – June 25, 2014) was an American neuroscientist and the Anne P. and Benjamin F. Biaggini Professor of Biological Sciences at the California Institute of Technology.
Early life and education
Paul Patterson was born in Chicago, Illinois,{{cite web |title=Noted Neuroscientist Paul Patterson Dies |url=https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/noted-neuroscientist-paul-patterson-dies-43156 |website=Caltech |date=30 June 2014 |access-date=13 November 2020}} to Paul and Marge Patterson. His uncle, Clair Patterson, was a scientist who influenced Paul’s future career.{{cite web|url=https://www.caltech.edu/content/scientific-pioneer-clair-c-patterson-dies|title=Scientific Pioneer Clair C. Patterson Dies|author=John Avery|date=December 6, 1995|publisher=California Institute of Technology|access-date=September 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170507225016/http://www.caltech.edu/content/scientific-pioneer-clair-c-patterson-dies|archive-date=May 7, 2017|url-status=dead}} He grew up in the suburbs of Chicago,{{citation needed|date=June 2014}} moved to Minnesota during high school,{{citation needed|date=June 2014}} and attended Grinnell College for his undergraduate studies.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbe.caltech.edu/content/paul-h-patterson|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004020255/http://www.bbe.caltech.edu/content/paul-h-patterson|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 4, 2013|title=Paul Patterson's website|author=|publisher=California Institute of Technology|access-date=June 25, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.grinnell.edu/news/innovating-cure|title=Innovating to Cure|author=|date=September 13, 2013|publisher=Grinnell College|access-date=June 25, 2014}}
He completed his PhD in biology at Johns Hopkins University with William Lennarz in 1970. He then moved to Harvard University as a post-doctoral scholar, and was promoted to assistant professor of neuroscience at the Harvard Medical School. He worked on the functioning of neurons, showing that the brain is in fact “plastic” and the functions of neurons can be changed by their environment and stimulation.
Career
In 1983, Paul 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 ("LIF"), a cytokine previously identified based on its immunological function, played in brain function. This discovery led to him being known as a “neuroimmunologist.”{{cite web |url=https://www.bbe.caltech.edu/content/neuroimmunology-symposium-0 |title=Neuroimmunology Symposium {{!}} www.bbe.caltech.edu |website=www.bbe.caltech.edu |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714145841/https://www.bbe.caltech.edu/content/neuroimmunology-symposium-0 |archive-date=2014-07-14}}
Paul co-edited a book called "The Origins of Schizophrenia" in 2011.{{Cite book|url=http://cup.columbia.edu/book/978-0-231-15124-5/the-origins-of-schizophrenia|isbn=9780231521925|title=The Origins of Schizophrenia|date=November 2011|publisher=Columbia University Press}} He also published a book on neuroimmunology, Infectious Behavior: Brain-Immune Connections in Autism, Schizophrenia and Depression,{{cite book|last=Patterson|first=Paul|date=September 2013|title=Infectious Behavior: Brain-Immune Connections in Autism, Schizophrenia and Depression|url=https://archive.org/details/infectiousbehavi0000patt|location=Boston, MA|publisher=MIT Press|isbn=9780262525343|access-date=June 25, 2014|url-access=registration}} and continued to blog on topics related to these fields{{cite web|last=Patterson|first=Paul|date=September 2013|title=Infectious Behavior|url=http://infectiousbehavior.wordpress.com|access-date=June 25, 2014}} until his death in June 2014.{{cite news|author=Autism Speaks|title=In Memoriam: Paul Patterson, Pioneering Autism Researcher and Mentor|url=http://www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/memoriam-paul-patterson-pioneering-autism-researcher-and-mentor|date=June 27, 2014|access-date=June 27, 2014}}{{cite news|last=Poulisse|first=Adam|title=Caltech neuroscience pioneer Paul H. Patterson dies|url=http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/obituaries/20140626/caltech-neuroscience-pioneer-paul-h-patterson-dies|newspaper=Pasadena Star-News|location=Pasadena, CA|date=June 26, 2014|access-date=June 27, 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.hdfoundation.org/board.php |title=Hereditary Disease Foundation - Scientific Advisory Board |access-date=2014-07-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131209181359/http://www.hdfoundation.org/board.php |archive-date=2013-12-09 }} He received research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).{{Cite web|url=http://search.nih.gov/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&affiliate=nih&query=paul+patterson&commit.x=0&commit.y=0|title = Paul patterson - National Institutes of Health Search Results}} In addition, he received research funding from non-profit organizations such as Autism Speaks, the McKnight Foundation, the Simons Foundation,{{Cite web | title=Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative {{!}} SFARI | url=http://sfari.org/ | access-date=2025-03-21 | website=sfari.org}} the Hereditary Disease Foundation,{{cite web |url=http://www.hdfoundation.org/home.php |title=Hereditary Disease Foundation - Home Page |access-date=2014-07-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214021220/http://www.hdfoundation.org/home.php |archive-date=2013-12-14 }} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-paul-patterson-20140719-story.html|title=Paul Patterson dies at 70; Caltech neuroscientist|website=Los Angeles Times|date=19 July 2014}}{{cite web |url=http://www.bbe.caltech.edu/content/mdphd-programs |title=MD/PhD Programs {{!}} www.bbe.caltech.edu |website=www.bbe.caltech.edu |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003014920/http://www.bbe.caltech.edu/content/mdphd-programs |archive-date=2013-10-03}} 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
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Category:American neuroscientists
Category:California Institute of Technology faculty
Category:Grinnell College alumni
Category:Harvard Medical School faculty
Category:Johns Hopkins University alumni