Charles Gilbert on Undergraduate Research Program Reunion
  Charles Gilbert     Biography    
Recorded: 08 Sep 1999

Some of the people who—some of the closest contact with I probably didn’t know until this year that they were URPS. So, for example, I have some contact with Jeremy Nathans, and I didn’t realize until this URP meeting that he had been an URP a couple of years after I was.

Oh, it was a lot of fun actually. And it was fun to see the people who I had known at the time. There was actually in my class or actually this was in two classes of URPS, there was a large representation of people coming back. And it was fun to see these guys after so many years.

Some of the people I’ve sort of followed their careers even if I’ve hadn’t had a lot of direct contact with like Rubin—but, Gerry Rubin. But—and then other people I haven’t had any—I think most of them I hadn’t had any contact whatsoever with them. So it was interesting to see where they had gone.

Charles Gilbert is a Head of Laboratory of Neurobiology at Rockefeller University and Arthur and Janet Ross Professor of Neuroscience at The Rockefeller University. He earned his M.D. and Ph.D from Harvard University. In 1993 he joined Rockefeller University as assistant professor and head of laboratory. In 1985 he became associate professor and professor in 1991.

Gilbert's research focus on the brain mechanisms of visual perception and learning, including the specific role of the brain’s primary visual cortex in analyzing visual images and in processing visual memory.

He is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Posit Science Corporation and member of the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has received the W. Alden Spencer Award from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.