History of the UCLA Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology
A Tradition of Excellence

Although the Laboratory of Neuroendocrinolgy was officially recognized by the Brain Research Institute in 1980, its actual beginning was in 1951 with the arrival of Charles H. Sawyer at the Department of Anatomy in the brand new UCLA School of Medicine. Professor Sawyer, a true pioneer in the neuroendocrinology of reproduction, encouraged collaboration in research and in training. For 15 years he had the support of the Ford Foundation's Population Research Program. His grant focused on postdoctoral training of foreign investigators. Thus, neuroendocrinology at UCLA began with a strong international flavor and impact. In mid 1979, the Brain Research Institute made the decision to recognize faculty groups with common research interests as a "Laboratory." The neuroendocrine group had already been active for more than 25 years and submitted an application for formal recognition. In 1980 a faculty group consisting of Sawyer, Arthur Arnold, Robert George, Roger Gorski, John Lu, Anna Taylor, David Whitmoyer and Emery Zimmerman was formally recognized as the Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology with Roger Gorski, a pioneer in the area of sexual differences in brain structure and function, as its nominal Director. One of Dr. Gorski's initial efforts was to secure predoctoral and postdoctoral support from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. This grant replaced the Ford Foundation grant as support for training specifically in neuroendocrinology at UCLA, and has been funded continuously to the present day. In 2001, Dr. Arnold replaced Dr. Gorski as Program Director of the Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology Training Grant. The current LNE represents the present-day, forward-looking manifestation of a long-standing tradition of excellence in neuroendocrinology education at UCLA.