Assistant Professor
Department of Biology
University of Toronto
Mississauga, Ontario

Homage à un Clochard (‘P. P. Dickey’) Redux

Dr. Hardin was a postdoctoral fellow at Brandeis University from 1987–1991. He worked closely with Michael Rosbash and Jeff Hall on the topic of circadian rhythms (day/night sleep cycle) in the fruit fly.

Dr. Levine was a postdoctoral fellow in Jeff Hall’s lab beginning in fall 1999 through 2004. A seasoned veteran of both circadian rhythms and courtship behavior, he reminisced over the good times and late nights spent during his time at Brandeis. Dr. Levine’s talk recounted a number of experiences in and out of biology that attracted him to the Hall lab at Brandeis. In addition, Dr. Levine emphasized the unique approach to neurogenetics that has developed at Brandeis and continues to shape current research activities in his own laboratory. Dr. Levine went on to describe in words and pictures the important people and themes that have affected him as a consequence of his association with Dr. Hall. In addition to others present at the meeting, such as Michael Rosbash, Paul Hardin, Ralph Greenspan, Bambos Kyriacou, Jae Park, Don Gailey and Adriana Villella among others, Dr. Levine fondly discussed his interactions with other influential Hall lab members such as John Ewer, Stephen Goodwin, Ralf Stanewsky, and Jeff Hall himself. Ultimately, it was Dr. Hall’s powerful qualities as a researcher, a teacher, and a person that remain with Dr. Levine as links to the possibilities inherent in Drosophila genetics and a life in science.