Jeffrey L RamJeffrey L. Ram is Professor of Physiology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and the Director of the Belle Isle Aquarium Laboratory in Detroit, MI USA. After receiving a B.A. Magna cum Laude degree in Physics from the University of Pennylvania (1967) and being a Thouron Scholar at Cambridge University (1967-1968), he earned a Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry and Neurophysiology from the California Institute of Technology (1974). Following post-doctoral research at the University of California Santa Cruz, and a fellowship at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA USA, he joined the faculty in the Department of Physiology of Wayne State University in 1977. Ram is known for his studies of the endocrine, neural, and pharmacological control of reproduction, muscle, and digestive physiology in invertebrate model systems, especially Aplysia, his research on invasive mussels, and recent studies on aquatic biodiversity. Together with Dr. Mahadev Murthy (NIH) he developed symposia and publications on the use of model systems for the study of aging, an activity that he has continued as President of the International Society for Invertebrate Reproduction and Development (2014 - 2017). Ram's collaborations on vertebrate systems have included biodiversity studies of the fecal and oral microbiome of animals and people. He has authored or co-authored over 150 publications in these areas and edited the proceedings of several symposia, including a 10 paper issue on model systems for the study of aging for the Journal of Invertebrate Reproduction and Development. The work of his laboratory has been recognized by numerous grants from NIH, NSF, EPA, and various foundations such as the American Heart Association and the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation. Ram is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. As head of an NSF project to promote the interest of public school students in science and science careers, Ram works closely with the Belle Isle Aquarium and the Detroit Public Schools Community District to increase the public understanding of how scientists work and the importance and place of science in protecting the environment. Read More Read Less