George Paxinos

Although known for his impact within neuroscience, Paxinos has a history of campaigning for the environment. For more than 10 years (1989 - 2000), Paxinos was the leading proponent of light rail for the city of Sydney. His motivation had been to reduce atmospheric pollution from automobile use. He founded the Light Rail Association and, through this organization, produced a plan for a comprehensive light rail system to complement the heavy rail network of Sydney. He organized demonstrations to preserve tramway infrastructure for a future light rail system. One of these demonstrations was a march on the Harbour Bridge that attracted more than 400 people. He also founded the Randwick Environment Group and the Coastal Walk Group – groups engaged in local activities in Randwick and Tamarama/Bronte, respectively. He wrote his novel Κατ’ Εικόνα to sensitize people on environmental issues. He stood as candidate for the Australian Cyclists Party for the 2015 state elections in New South Wales.

Paxinos has published 54 research books, 1 textbook, 165 refereed journal articles, 30 book chapters, and 17 CDROMs.[1] He has identified 94 nuclei (areas) in the rat and human brains. Comparing rats and humans, he has identified 64 homologous nuclei. He has identified 180 nuclei and homologies in birds. He was the first to produce a reliable stereotaxic space for the brain of rats, mice, and primates — a factor fuelling the explosion in neuroscience research since the 1980s. He developed the first comprehensive nomenclature and ontology for the brain, covering humans, birds, and developing mammals. Further, Paxinos constructed the most frequently cited atlases of the brain and spinal cord of rats, mice, monkeys, birds and humans. He also published developmental atlases of rats and mice, and the only comprehensive MRI/DTI atlas of the rat brain

• President of the Australian Neuroscience Society (ANS; 2004-5).
• President, World Congress of Neuroscience (2004-7).
• Chairperson, IBRO World Congress & Regional Meetings Committee (2007-11).

Honorary Life Memberships

• Society of Speech Therapists of Greece (Σύλλογος Επιστημόνων Λογοπαθολόγων Λογοθεραπευτών Ελλάδος)
• Hellenic Neuropsychology Society

Conference Organizing

• President of the Local Organizing Committee for the 2007 Melbourne IBRO World Congress of Neuroscience (and President of the Melbourne consortium bid for the Congress).
• Mai, Saper and Paxinos organized the International Conference on the Structural Basis for Understanding Human Brain Function and Dysfunction; Roma 5-10 Oct 2002.
• He was a founding member of the international committee that organizes the International Human Brain Mapping Conferences.
• He was the co-organizer of the 1988 Neuropsychology symposium that took place on Heron Island as a satellite of the International Congress of Psychology in Sydney.

He wrote the internationally used textbook The Brain: an Introduction to Functional Neuroanatomy (2010) which is used in the Australian and New Zealand Brain Bee Challenge and has contributed to Australia’s dominance in the International Brain Bee Challenge competition. He taught psychology for 27 years and served on the Academic Board and Council of UNSW. He is currently supervising two postdoctoral fellows and a PhD student.[12]

• President of the Australasian Neuroscience Society (ANS; 2004–5).[13]
• President, World Congress of Neuroscience (2004–07).
• Chairperson, IBRO World Congress & Regional Meetings Committee (2007–11).[14]

• Founder and President of the Light Rail Association (1989–2000)[15][16][17]
• Founder and former Secretary of the Migrants' Rights Committee[18][19][20]
• Member of the Australian Cyclists Party[21]
• Founder of the Living Junction Facebook Community, the Coastal Walk Group and the Randwick Environmental Group.

• 1968 The Warner Brown Memorial Prize, University of California at Berkeley
• 1992 The Walter Burfitt Prize, Royal Society of NSW[22]
• 1994 DSc, The University of New South Wales
• 1997 The Award for Excellence in Publishing in Medical Science, Assoc American Publishers
• 1999 Disk of Sacred Truce, International Committee of Olympic Winners; for Community Service
• 1999 The University of New South Wales Alumni Achievement Award[23]
• 1999 The Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research[24]
• 1999 FASSA (Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia)[25]
• 2001 Scientia Professor, The University of New South Wales (Distinguished Professor)[26]
• 2002 AO (Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia for service to Neuroscience)[27]
• 2003 Alexander von Humboldt Award (Prize) (Germany) for contributions to neuroscience
• 2004 President, Australian Neuroscience Society[28]
• 2004–7 President, IBRO World Congress of Neuroscience
• 2007 The Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, The Aus Psychological Society[29]
• 2008 Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Athens
• 2009 NHMRC Australia Fellow[30]
• 2009 FAA (Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science)[31]
• 2011 Honorary President, School of Psychology, City Unity College (Athens)
• 2012 Pioneer in Medicine Award, Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics[32]
• 2012 Academy of Athens, elected foreign member
• 2013 Scientia Professor, University of New South Wales[26]
• 2014 Fellow, Royal Society of New South Wales
• 2019 FAHMS (Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences)[33]
• 2019 Distinguished Fellow, Royal Society of New South Wales (an award limited to 24 fellows)
• 2020 2020 PROSE Awards Finalist in Biomedicine & Neuroscience, Assoc of American Publishers

The Nina Kondelos Prize[34] has been awarded annually since 2007 to a female neuroscientist for making significant contributions to neuroscience research. The award is named after the late sister of Professor George Paxinos and was initially funded by him.