Chief Executive Officer, American Association for the Advancement of Science & Publisher, Science
Dr. Leshner became Chief Executive Officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Publisher of Science Magazine in December 2001. Prior to coming to AAAS, Dr. Leshner was Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Before becoming Director of NIDA, Dr. Leshner had been the Deputy Director and Acting Director of the National Institute of Mental Health. He went to NIMH from the National Science Foundation (NSF), where he held a variety of senior positions, focusing on basic research in the biological, behavioral and social sciences, and on science education. Dr. Leshner went to NSF after 10 years at Bucknell University, where he was Professor of Psychology. He has also held long-term appointments at the Postgraduate Medical School in Budapest, Hungary, at the Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center, and as a Fulbright Scholar at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Dr. Leshner's research has focused on the biological bases of behavior. He is the author of a major textbook on the relationship between hormones and behavior, and numerous book chapters and papers in professional journals. He also has published extensively in the areas of science and technology policy and education. Dr. Leshner received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Franklin and Marshall College, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in physiological psychology from Rutgers University. He also holds honorary Doctor of Science degrees from Franklin and Marshall College and the Pavlov Medical University in St. Petersburg, Russia. He has been elected a fellow of AAAS and many other professional societies, is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, and has received numerous awards from both professional and lay groups.