Announcements: Kudos

NIAAA Director Receives French Legion of Honor

BY JOHN BOWERSOX, NIAAA

George F. Koob, recognized as one of the founders of the field of addiction research, became a Knight of the French Legion of Honor in recognition of his leadership in developing scientific collaborations between France and the United States. French Ambassador Gérard Araud presented the award on behalf of French President François Hollande in a ceremony held on June 30, 2016. Koob is also the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Koob is internationally renowned for his expertise on alcohol and stress and the neurobiology of alcohol and drug addiction. He has had a long collaborative relationship with Michel Le Moal, who is a professor emeritus of neuroscience at the University of Bordeaux (Bordeaux, France) and a fellow of the French National Academy of Sciences. Together they co-authored Neurobiology of Addiction (2006) and Drugs, Addiction, and the Brain (2014), both of which are regarded as major reference books in the field of addiction research.

Koob has shared his expertise and knowledge of the mechanisms underlying addiction and other psychiatric diseases and behavioral disorders with many other French scientists. Throughout his career, he has created strong links between French and American researchers and has hosted and trained many young scientists from France including 13 postdoctoral fellows.

The Legion of Honor, France’s premier award, was founded by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 to recognize eminent accomplishments of service to France. Among many previous American recipients of the award are hundreds of veterans of World War II, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, former NIH Director Elias Zerhouni, and many leaders in academia, politics, and the arts.