In vivo veritas: probing brain function through the use of quantitative in vivo biochemical techniques.

Abstract

An invitation to write a Prefatory Chapter for the Annual Review of Physiologyis an honor one cannot refuse, but I undertake it with uneasiness. For almost 50 years in biomedical research my writing has been in the traditional style of scientific articles that are supposed to be impersonal and concerned only with scientific content. According to this tradition, probably more idealistic than real, only accuracy and documentation and not people count. In this review of my life in science I must rely on memory, and recalled memory is often more imaginative than real. Nevertheless, I shall do my best to relate the events in my life that shaped my career with as little distortion of the truth and as much freedom from self-serving bias as I can achieve. The title of this chapter is slightly modified from one selected by my colleagues for a symposium held at the National Institutes of Health in recognition of my 75th birthday. They believed it summarized the course of my research career. I agree that it does reflect the major themes in my research life.