Timothy Bliss

Life

Born in England he was educated at Dean Close School and McGill University (BSc, 1963; PhD, 1967). the first evidence of a Hebb-like synaptic plasticity event induced by brief tetanic stimulation, known as long-term potentiation (LTP). His work has done much to provide a neural explanation for learning and memory. Studying the hippocampus – the memory centre of the brain – Tim showed that the strength of signals between neurons in the brain exhibits a long-term increase following brief but intense activation, a phenomenon known as long-term potentiation (LTP).

Whilst LTP was discovered in Oslo in the lab of Per Andersen, Tim's subsequent research into the cellular properties of LTP and its relation to memory was conducted at London's National Institute for Medical Research where he worked from 1968 to 2006, becoming head of Neurosciences. He is visiting professor at University College London.

Bliss is on the board of the Feldberg Foundation and was trustee of Sir John Soane's Museum from 2004 to 2009. From the years 2009 until 2013, Bliss worked as an adjunct professor in the South Korean university, Seoul National University.

Awards and Honours Source: 2014 Hon DSc University of Hertfordshire 2016 The Brain Prize, Lundbeck Foundation

Notable Contributions + Publications and Credits Year Title Journal 1969 Lamellar Organization of Hippocampal Excitatory Pathways Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 1970 Plasticity in a Monosynaptic Cortical Pathway The Journal of Physiology 1971 Unit Analysis of Hippocampal Population Spikes Experimental Brain Research 1971 Long-Lasting Increases of Synaptic Influence in the Unanesthetized Hippocampus The Journal of Physiology 1971 Lamellar Organization of Hippocampal Pathways Experimental Brain Research 1973 Long-Lasting Potentiation of Synaptic Transmission in the Dentate Area of the Anaesthetized Rabbit Following Stimulation of the Perforant Path The Journal of Physiology 1979 Synaptic Plasticity in the Hippocampus Trends in Neurosciences