Paxinos-Watson Prize

This award has been made possible by a generous donation to the Society by Professor George Paxinos and Professor Charles Watson, commemorating the new edition of their important key reference text "The Rat Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates" by Academic Press. The award was established for the most significant neuroscience paper published by a full member of the society, and is judged annually.

1. Any Member of ANS may nominate one of their papers in the field of neuroscience; other authors may be Members or non-members of the Society.
2. No Member may nominate more than one paper per year, but may be a co-author on a paper nominated by another Member.
3. The research in the paper must have been substantially undertaken within Australia or New Zealand.
4. The judges will rank the nominated papers on the basis of their scientific significance.

A PDF file of the paper, bearing 2008 as the year of publication, should be submitted. The nomination may also be supported by up to two short submissions (max 500 words each) from ANS members explaining why they think the paper is significant. 

The prize will be awarded to the paper. All authors will receive a certificate, and the prize money will be sent to the nominating authors who will be required to report how it was shared between the authors.

Applications for the 2010 prize are due by Nov 20, 2009 and should be submitted to the ANS Secretary. Applicants must be Members in good standing on the 30th June in the year of nomination

Previous Winners

• 2010: M. Kole, S. Ilschner, B. Kampa, S. Williams, P. Ruben & G. Stuart (2008). Action potential generation requires a high sodium channel density in the axon initial segment. Nature Neuroscience, 11: 178-186
• 2009: M. Kole, J. Letzkus & G. Stuart. (2007). Axon Initial Segment Kv1 Channels Control Axonal Action Potential Waveform and Synaptic Efficacy. Neuron 55: 633–647
• 2008: Joint prize between: V. Hammond, E. So, J. Gunnersen, H. Valcanis, M. Kalloniatis & S.S. Tan (2006) Layer positioning of late-born cortical interneurons is dependent on Reelin but not p35 signaling. J. Neurosci. 26:1646-1655. and T. Keeble, M. Halford, C. Seaman, N. Kee, M. Macheda, R. Anderson, S. Stacker and H. Cooper (2006) The Wnt receptor Ryk is required for Wnt5a-mediated axon guidance on the contralateral side of the corpus callosum. J. Neurosci. 26:5840-5848.
• 2007: K.L. Spalding, R.D. Bhardwaj, B.A. Buchholz, H. Druid & J. Frisen (2005) Retrospective birth dating of cells in humans. Cell 122:133-143.
• 2006: Y. Goldshmit, M.P. Galea, G. Wise, P.F. Bartlett & A.M. Turnley (2004) Axonal regeneration and lack of astrocytic gliosis in EphA4-deficient miceJ. Neurosci. 24:10064-73.
• 2005: G.B. Banks, P.T. Choy, N.A. Lavidis & P.G. Noakes (2003) Neuromuscular synapses mediate motor axon branching and motoneuron survival during the embryonic period of programmed cell death. Dev. Biol. 257: 71-84.
• 2003: R.L. Rietze, H. Valcanis, G.F. Brooker, T. Thomas, A.K. Voss, & P.F. Bartlett (2001) Purification of a pluripotent neural stem cell from the adult mouse brain. Nature 412: 736-739.
• 2002 - Joint Prize BetweenR. Taylor, S. He, W. Levick & D. Vaney (2000) Dendritic computation of direction selectivity by retinal ganglion cells. Science 289: 2347-2350andM. Rosa, R. Tweedale & G. Elston (2000) Visual responses of neurons in the middle temporal area of new world monkeys after lesions of striate cortex. J. Neurosci. 20: 5552-5563
• 2001: Gandevia SC, Petersen N, Butler JE & Taylor JL. (1999) Impaired response of human motoneurones to corticospinal stimulation after voluntary exercise. J Physiol 1999: 521 (3): 749-59.
• 1999: Elston GN & Rosa MG (1997). The occipitoparietal pathway of the macaque monkey: comparison of pyramidal cell morphology in layer III of functionally related cortical visual areas. Cereb Cortex. 7(5): 432-52
• 1997: Lipski J, Kanjhan R, Kruszewska B, Smith M. (1995) Barosensitive neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla of the rat in-vivo: morphological properties and relationship to C1 adrenergic neurons. Neuroscience 69 (2): 601-18.