As a freshly minted postdoc coming from the Boston area, I was really excited about the prospects of my first faculty position in the Big Apple. With a background in pharmacology and a postdoctoral training in neuroendocrinology, I knew next to nothing about psychology and issues like biofeedback, learning and motivation, or behavioral medicine. So the possibility of collaborating with Jay Weiss in Neal Miller’s laboratoryy on the behavioral consequences of controllable versus uncontrollable stress was a challenge I readily embraced.<\/p>\n
\u00a0“Stress” was the common theme in the crowded lab we all shared for some time with Bruce McEwen’s group.\u00a0 And the paternal figure of Dr. Miller pervaded the lab.\u00a0 But it was some time before I was able to interact a bit more with him in person, given his busy national and international schedule of lectures and collaborations.\u00a0 Dr. Miller’s spacious office, with a great view of the East River, reflected his personal interest in – to me then – “exotic” places he had visited.\u00a0 I especially remember a small collection of beautifully illustrated small books on Japanese culture, which I promptly borrowed for reading.\u00a0 Such books, and other memorabilia, reflected Neal’s deep interest and respect for other cultures.\u00a0 He was interested in the knowledge preserved by indigenous cultures, which might provide potential contributions to our present day “stressed out” society.<\/p>\n
\u00a0This pervasive issue of “stress” eventually launched my own career in that direction once I left the Rockefeller University.\u00a0 Initially I immersed myself in my own research interest, namely alcohol research. But eventually I gravitated back to the problem of stress and the contribution it makes to excessive alcohol consumption – two present day pressing social and health problems.<\/p>\n
\u00a0I will always remember his smiling face and most importantly the kindness, interest, and encouragement Neal Miller provided to all members of his group.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As a freshly minted postdoc coming from the Boston area, I was really excited about the prospects of my first faculty position in the Big Apple. With a background in pharmacology and a postdoctoral training in neuroendocrinology, I knew next … Continue reading