Hugh A. Tilson, PhD

Hugh A. Tilson received his doctorate in 1971 from the University of Minnesota, where he was a U.S. Public Health Service trainee in psychopharmacology. His doctoral advisor, Dr. Sheldon Sparber, pioneered approaches to characterize neurochemical changes underlying the development of behavioral tolerance to central nervous system (CNS) active drugs such as psychomimetics and stimulants. From 1972 to 1973, Dr. Tilson served as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Pharmacology at Michigan State University. Working with Dr. Richard Rech, Dr. Tilson extended his research on the mechanisms of behavioral tolerance to psychoactive drugs. In 1973, he joined the Pharmacology Department at Bristol Laboratories, Syracuse, New York, as a senior research scientist. In that capacity, Dr. Tilson identified and developed psychotherapeutic drugs.

Dr. Tilson came to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in 1976 to help develop the Laboratory of Behavioral and Neurological Toxicology. One research theme of Dr. Tilson's group was to develop approaches to characterize the behavioral effects of neurotoxic chemicals. Many such studies were conducted in collaboration with the National Toxicology Program. Another central theme of his research group was to understand compensatory cellular and neurochemical changes in the CNS following exposure to neurotoxic agents. This research led to the development of animal models using tissue implants and neurotrophic agents to promote recovery of function following experimentally induced CNS damage. Dr. Tilson's group also utilized selective neurotoxic agents to study the role of the septo-hippocampal region of the brain in cognitive functions such as working and reference memory.

In 1989, Dr. Tilson became director of the Neurotoxicology Division at the Health Effects Research Laboratory in the Office of Research and Development (ORD) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. From 2000 to 2005, he served as assistant laboratory director for human health research at the EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory. In 2005, Dr. Tilson was named national program director for human health research for ORD. He joined Environmental Health Perspectives as editor-in-chief in November 2007.

Dr. Tilson has served on numerous academic and governmental advisory boards, including several committees associated with the International Programme for Chemical Safety of the World Health Organization. He has served on the editorial boards of several journals and as an associate editor for Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology and Neurotoxicology. During his career at the EPA, he received several awards, including 7 Bronze Medals, 1 Silver Medal, and 3 Scientific and Technology Achievement Awards.