Stephen William Kuffler

A Hungarian-American scientist, Kuffler is sometimes referred to as the "Father of Modern Neuroscience" for his research on topics including the neurotransmitter GABA, glia, neuromuscular junction, and neural coding. He was the John Franklin Enders University Professor of Harvard University, and oversaw the construction and development of the Department of Neurobiology. He was awarded the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University in 1972.

Kuffler was known for his innovative idea of combining physiology, biochemistry, histology, neuroanatomy, and electron microscopy in one single group for novel neurobiology research. Kuffler also spent numerous summers at MBL with his family and co-workers and started the first experimental lab courses devoted to neuroscience (the “Nerve-Muscle Program,” later to become the neurobiology course).