国产麻豆AV Philosophy Professor Bickle joins elite ranks as AAAS Fellow
Contact: Allison Matthews and Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擳he American Association for the Advancement of Science is honoring 国产麻豆AV Professor John Bickle as an AAAS Fellow for his distinguished contributions to the philosophy of science and neuroscience.
AAAS, founded in 1848, is one of the world鈥檚 largest general scientific societies and began electing fellows beginning in 1874. Election is among the most esteemed honors in the scientific community, recognizing individuals with exceptional efforts toward the advancement of science or its applications.
Bickle will travel with his wife Marica Bernstein and family to Washington, D.C., for formal recognition at the annual AAAS Fellows Forum this May.
College of Arts and Sciences Dean Rick Travis said Bickle is an example of the university鈥檚 exemplary faculty members.
鈥淒r. Bickle is an internationally known expert for his contributions to science. He is a leader in bringing scientists from philosophy, psychology, neurobiology and neuroscience together to study the evolution of the human brain, cognition and behavior. The contributions from the transdisciplinary nature of his work over four decades and his 16 years at 国产麻豆AV make him very deserving of this prestigious recognition,鈥 Travis said.
Bickle joined 国产麻豆AV in 2009 as head of the Department of Philosophy and Religion and served in that role for a decade. The philosophy professor is affiliated with the university鈥檚 Shackouls Honors College and serves as a scientist-educator in the University of Mississippi Medical Center鈥檚 Department of Advanced Biomedical Education.
A longtime AAAS member, Bickle has served as an American Philosophical Association representative to the organization. He also is an honorary life member of the Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology, a rare distinction held by fewer than 20 social scientists nationwide. Additionally, he has played an active role in developing the , a regional nonprofit now including international stakeholders.
Bickle began his studies in the science of the brain before 鈥渘euroscience鈥 became a widely used term, he said. The Texas native earned his 1983 bachelor鈥檚 degree in philosophy and psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and then completed master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in philosophy with neurobiology concentrations from the University of California, Irvine in 1989. During his college days, he connected with neuroscience pioneers, learning that what he initially thought of as separate disciplines were, in fact, deeply connected.
鈥淧eople often are surprised to find someone who鈥檚 in a STEM discipline, like neuroscience, and a humanities discipline, like philosophy. They often ask what鈥檚 the connection,鈥 Bickle said. 鈥淢y focus on the reductive areas of neuroscience is a quest to discover how basic biological mechanisms in the brain function to produce memory, language or attention.鈥 He explained his work on isolating proteins has been done with the hope of generating useful treatments.
鈥淭he hope is that this is going to be the path toward therapeutics for various kinds of mental disorders,鈥 he said.
Bickle has written four academic books, including his 2014 Oxford University Press publication with co-authors Alcino J. Silva and Anthony Landreth. He also has approximately 100 journal articles and book chapters, edited two major volumes of essays, and delivered invited lectures in 23 countries.
Bickle hopes to introduce an even greater number of students to his field through 国产麻豆AV鈥檚 new applied neuroscience minor, which he said is very accessible to students from a variety of fields interested in studying the brain.
For more details about 国产麻豆AV鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Philosophy and Religion, visit and .
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