James McGaugh
Encyclopedia
James L. McGaugh is an American neurobiologist working in the field of learning
and memory
. He is currently a Research Professor at the University of California, Irvine
.
McGaugh received his B.A. from San Jose State University
in 1953 and his Ph.D.
in psychology
from the University of California, Berkeley
, in 1959. He was briefly a professor at San Jose State and then did postdoctoral work in neuropharmacology with Nobel Laureate Professor Daniel Bovet at the
Istituto Superiore di Sanitá in Rome, Italy. He then became a professor at the University of Oregon
from 1961-1964. He was recruited to the University of California, Irvine
, in 1964 (the year of the school's founding) to be the founding chair of the Department of Psychobiology (now Neurobiology and Behavior: http://neurobiology.uci.edu/). He became dean (1967–1970) of the School of Biological Sciences and Vice Chancellor (1975–1977) and executive Vice Chancellor (1978–1982) of the university, though he maintained his laboratory throughout that time. In 1983, he founded the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (http://www.cnlm.uci.edu/ and remained director from 1983-2004.
McGaugh's early work (in the 1950s and 1960s) demonstrated that memories are not instantly created in a long-term, permanent fashion. Rather, immediately after a learning event, the memory is labile and susceptible to influence. As time passes, the memory becomes increasingly resistant to external influences and eventually becomes stored in a relatively permanent manner, a process termed memory consolidation
. Dr. McGaugh found that drugs, given to an animal after a learning event, influence the subsequent retention of that event. The concept of such "post-training" manipulations is one of Dr. McGaugh's greatest contributions to the field of learning and memory because it avoids many potential confounds, such as performance effects of the drug, that may occur when a drug or other treatment is given prior to the training.
Over the ensuing decades, Dr. McGaugh extended his findings into a long-term investigation of emotionally-influenced memory consolidation. As most people realize, they have stronger memories for long-ago events that were emotionally arousing in nature, compared with memories for emotionally neutral events (which may not be remembered well at all). Dr. McGaugh has examined how emotional arousal influences memory consolidation. In particular, he has found that stress
hormone
s, such as epinephrine
and cortisol
, mediate much of the effects of emotional arousal on subsequent retention of the event. These hormones, in turn, activate a variety of brain structures, including the amygdala
, which appears to play a key role in modulating memory consolidation. The amygdala, when activated, influences a variety of other brain structures, including the hippocampus
, nucleus accumbens
and caudate nucleus
that process different aspects of memory. It is through this "orchestration" of brain structures that memories are eventually formed and stored, though the exact nature of memory storage remains elusive.
McGaugh has been recognized in honor of his achievements, accomplishments, and contributions to the field of learning and memory. In 1981 he was honored with the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association. He received a Merit Award from the National Institute of Mental Health in 1987. McGaugh was elected a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences
in 1989 and was also elected a member of the Brazilian and Mexican academies of science. He was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
and has served as president of the Association for Psychological Science
and the Western Psychological Association. He was selected as a William James Fellow, Association for Psychological Science, 1989. Other honors include the John P. McGovern Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science
, 1996 and the Robert S. Dow Neuroscience Award, 2000. The University of California, Irvine, honored him with the UCI medal in 1992 and the naming of a building after him, McGaugh Hall, in 2001. The University of L'Aquila, Italy, honored him with the Laurea Honoris Causa in 2001. In 2006 the Western Psychological Association awarded him Lifetime Achievement Award. He received the Norman Anderson Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Experimental Psychologists
in 2008 where he was elected a Fellow in 1991. He was also honored in 2009 with the Karl Lashley Prize in Neuroscience from the American Philosophical Society
. McGaugh can be found playing in a jazz ensemble once a month at the UC Irvine campus pub.
Learning
Learning is acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals and some machines. Progress over time tends to follow learning curves.Human learning...
and memory
Memory
In psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information and experiences. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing memory....
. He is currently a Research Professor at the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
.
McGaugh received his B.A. from San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
in 1953 and his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, in 1959. He was briefly a professor at San Jose State and then did postdoctoral work in neuropharmacology with Nobel Laureate Professor Daniel Bovet at the
Istituto Superiore di Sanitá in Rome, Italy. He then became a professor at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
from 1961-1964. He was recruited to the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
, in 1964 (the year of the school's founding) to be the founding chair of the Department of Psychobiology (now Neurobiology and Behavior: http://neurobiology.uci.edu/). He became dean (1967–1970) of the School of Biological Sciences and Vice Chancellor (1975–1977) and executive Vice Chancellor (1978–1982) of the university, though he maintained his laboratory throughout that time. In 1983, he founded the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (http://www.cnlm.uci.edu/ and remained director from 1983-2004.
McGaugh's early work (in the 1950s and 1960s) demonstrated that memories are not instantly created in a long-term, permanent fashion. Rather, immediately after a learning event, the memory is labile and susceptible to influence. As time passes, the memory becomes increasingly resistant to external influences and eventually becomes stored in a relatively permanent manner, a process termed memory consolidation
Memory consolidation
Memory consolidation is a category of processes that stabilize a memory trace after the initial acquisition. Consolidation is distinguished into two specific processes, synaptic consolidation, which occurs within the first few hours after learning, and system consolidation, where...
. Dr. McGaugh found that drugs, given to an animal after a learning event, influence the subsequent retention of that event. The concept of such "post-training" manipulations is one of Dr. McGaugh's greatest contributions to the field of learning and memory because it avoids many potential confounds, such as performance effects of the drug, that may occur when a drug or other treatment is given prior to the training.
Over the ensuing decades, Dr. McGaugh extended his findings into a long-term investigation of emotionally-influenced memory consolidation. As most people realize, they have stronger memories for long-ago events that were emotionally arousing in nature, compared with memories for emotionally neutral events (which may not be remembered well at all). Dr. McGaugh has examined how emotional arousal influences memory consolidation. In particular, he has found that stress
Stress (medicine)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
hormone
Hormone
A hormone is a chemical released by a cell or a gland in one part of the body that sends out messages that affect cells in other parts of the organism. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. In essence, it is a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one...
s, such as epinephrine
Epinephrine
Epinephrine is a hormone and a neurotransmitter. It increases heart rate, constricts blood vessels, dilates air passages and participates in the fight-or-flight response of the sympathetic nervous system. In chemical terms, adrenaline is one of a group of monoamines called the catecholamines...
and cortisol
Cortisol
Cortisol is a steroid hormone, more specifically a glucocorticoid, produced by the adrenal gland. It is released in response to stress and a low level of blood glucocorticoids. Its primary functions are to increase blood sugar through gluconeogenesis; suppress the immune system; and aid in fat,...
, mediate much of the effects of emotional arousal on subsequent retention of the event. These hormones, in turn, activate a variety of brain structures, including the amygdala
Amygdala
The ' are almond-shaped groups of nuclei located deep within the medial temporal lobes of the brain in complex vertebrates, including humans. Shown in research to perform a primary role in the processing and memory of emotional reactions, the amygdalae are considered part of the limbic system.-...
, which appears to play a key role in modulating memory consolidation. The amygdala, when activated, influences a variety of other brain structures, including the hippocampus
Hippocampus
The hippocampus is a major component of the brains of humans and other vertebrates. It belongs to the limbic system and plays important roles in the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory and spatial navigation. Humans and other mammals have two hippocampi, one in...
, nucleus accumbens
Nucleus accumbens
The nucleus accumbens , also known as the accumbens nucleus or as the nucleus accumbens septi , is a collection of neurons and forms the main part of the ventral striatum...
and caudate nucleus
Caudate nucleus
The caudate nucleus is a nucleus located within the basal ganglia of the brains of many animal species. The caudate nucleus is an important part of the brain's learning and memory system.-Anatomy:...
that process different aspects of memory. It is through this "orchestration" of brain structures that memories are eventually formed and stored, though the exact nature of memory storage remains elusive.
McGaugh has been recognized in honor of his achievements, accomplishments, and contributions to the field of learning and memory. In 1981 he was honored with the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association. He received a Merit Award from the National Institute of Mental Health in 1987. McGaugh was elected a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
in 1989 and was also elected a member of the Brazilian and Mexican academies of science. He was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
and has served as president of the Association for Psychological Science
Association for Psychological Science
The Association for Psychological Science , previously the American Psychological Society, is a non-profit international organization whose mission is to promote, protect, and advance the interests of scientifically oriented psychology in research, application, teaching, and the improvement of...
and the Western Psychological Association. He was selected as a William James Fellow, Association for Psychological Science, 1989. Other honors include the John P. McGovern Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
, 1996 and the Robert S. Dow Neuroscience Award, 2000. The University of California, Irvine, honored him with the UCI medal in 1992 and the naming of a building after him, McGaugh Hall, in 2001. The University of L'Aquila, Italy, honored him with the Laurea Honoris Causa in 2001. In 2006 the Western Psychological Association awarded him Lifetime Achievement Award. He received the Norman Anderson Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Experimental Psychologists
Society of Experimental Psychologists
The Society of Experimental Psychologists , originally called the Society of Experimentalists, is an academic society for experimental psychologists. It was founded by Edward Bradford Titchener in 1904 to be an ongoing workshop in which members could visit labs, study apparatus, and hear and...
in 2008 where he was elected a Fellow in 1991. He was also honored in 2009 with the Karl Lashley Prize in Neuroscience from the American Philosophical Society
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society, founded in 1743, and located in Philadelphia, Pa., is an eminent scholarly organization of international reputation, that promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications,...
. McGaugh can be found playing in a jazz ensemble once a month at the UC Irvine campus pub.