Chancellor Howard Gillman, Professor James McGaugh, Professor Michael Yassa

“From the day UCI opened its doors almost exactly 53 years ago to the day, neuroscience and the study of the mind have been among our towering academic strengths. This is due in large part to the contribution and life’s work of James L. McGaugh. Sir Isaac Newton famously said ‘If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants. In the field of memory creation, retention and recall, James McGaugh is a giant.'” – Chancellor Howard Gilman, in his introduction of UCI Distinguished Professor Emeritus James L. McGaugh. “It is difficult to imagine what UCI would be like today if Jim McGaugh had decided, back in 1964 to stay at the University of Oregon.”

On the 53rd anniversary of the inauguration of the UCI campus, Professor McGaugh delivered the 1st annual McGaugh-Gerard Lecture on Learning and Memory to a capacity audience at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. In his lecture, McGaugh describes a UCI campus of barren lands peppered with bison and full of promise.  In his lecture, titled “Memory: Pathway to our Future”, he states “Although we all think of memory as a past, the reason that we have memory is it provides information that we can use for behaving in the future. Memory is about the future.” Bridging past and future, McGaugh offered memories of his work and insights into their applications to neuropsychiatric disorders such as PTSD, ending his talk with a hopeful note about what the future may bring.

This new lecture series was made possible by  the McGaugh-Gerard Endowment established by Dr. James L. McGaugh and the family trust of the late Dr. Ralph W. Gerard.

We extend our sincere gratitude to Dr. McGaugh and the Gerard family trust for their philanthropy in establishing this important lectureship at the CNLM to enrich the lives of future generations.

Click here to watch the lecture