This award has been made possible by a generous donation to the Society by Professor George Paxinos and Professor Charles Watson, commemorating the new edition of their important key reference text "The Rat Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates" by Academic Press. The award was established for the most significant neuroscience paper published by any Member of the Society, and is judged annually.
Any Member of ANS may nominate one of their papers in the field of neuroscience; other authors may be Members or non-Members of the Society. Each Member may nominate only one paper per year, but may be a co-author on a paper nominated by another Member. The research in the paper must have been substantially undertaken within Australia or New Zealand. The judges will rank the nominated papers on the basis of their scientific significance.
The application must refer to a publication with an electronic or hard publication date (whichever is the earliest) of 2018 as indicated on the published manuscript. The nomination may also be supported by up to two short submissions (max 500 words each) from other neuroscientists explaining the significance of the paper.
The prize of $500 will be awarded for the paper. Only the first and senior authors will receive a certificate, and the prize money will be sent to the nominating author.
How to Apply
Applications for 2019 are due by 24 July 2019 and should be submitted to the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Applicants must be Members of ANS. 
Past Winners
2018
Menuet C, Le S, Dempsey B, Connelly AA, Kamar JL, Jancovski N, Bassi JK, Walters K, Simms AE, Hammond A, Fong AY, Goodchild AK, McMullan S & Allen AM (2017) Excessive Respiratory Modulation of Blood Pressure Triggers Hypertension. Cell Metabolism 25: 739-748.
2017 (dual winners)
Matamales M., Skrbis Z., Hatch R.J., Balleine BW., Götz J. & Bertran-Gonzalez J. (2016) Aging-Related Dysfunction of Striatal Cholinergic Interneurons Produces Conflict in Action Selection. Neuron 90:362-73.
Ittner A, Chua SW, Bertz J, Volkerling A, van der Hoven J, Gladbach A, Przybyla M, Bi M, van Hummel A, Stevens CH, Ippati S, Suh LS, Macmillan A, Sutherland G, Kril JJ, Silva AP, Mackay J, Poljak A, Delerue F, Ke YD, Ittner LM. (2016) Site-specific phosphorylation of tau inhibits amyloid-β toxicity in Alzheimer's mice. Science 354: 904-908.
2016
Neumann, B., Coakley, S., Giordano-Santini, R., Linton, C., Lee, E.S., Nakagawa, A., Xue D. & Hilliard, M.A. (2015) EFF-1-mediated regenerative axonal fusion requires components of the apoptotic pathway. Nature 517: 219–222.
2015
Palmer, L.M., A.S. Shai, J.E. Reeve, H.L. Anderson, O. Paulsen and M.E. Larkum. (2014) NMDA spikes enhance action potential generation during sensory input. Nature Neuroscience 17:383-390
Sivyer, B. and S.R. Williams. (2013) Direction selectivity is computed by active dendritic integration in retinal ganglion cells. Nature Neuroscience 16:1848-1856
2014
Forbes, E.M., A.W. Thompson, J. Yuan and G.J. Goodhill. (2012) Calcium and cAMP levels interact to determine attraction versus repulsion in axon guidance. Neuron 74:490-503.
2013
Cheong, S.K., C. Tailby, P.R. Martin, J.B. Levitt, & S.G. Solomon. (2011) Slow intrinsic rhythm in the koniocellular visual pathway. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 108:14659-14663.
2012
Ittner, L.M., Y.D. Ke, F. Delerue, M. Bi, A. Gladbach, J. van Eersel, H. Wölfing, B.C. Chieng, M.J. Christie, I.A. Napier, A. Eckert, M. Staufenbiel, E. Hardeman, & J. Götz.(2010) Dendritic function of tau mediates amyloid-beta toxicity in Alzheimer's disease mouse models. Cell 142:387-397.
2011
Schulz, J., P. Redgrave, C. Mehring, A. Aertsen., K. Clements, J. Wickens & J. Reynolds (2009). Short-latency activation of striatal spiny neurons via subcortical visual pathways. J. Neurosci. 29:6336-6347.
2010
Kole, M., S. Ilschner, B. Kampa, S. Williams, P. Ruben & G. Stuart (2008). Action potential generation requires a high sodium channel density in the axon initial segment. Nat. Neurosci. 11:178-186
2009
Kole, M., J. Letzkus & G. Stuart. (2007). Axon Initial Segment Kv1 Channels Control Axonal Action Potential Waveform and Synaptic Efficacy. Neuron 55:633–647
2008
Joint prize shared between:
Hammond, V., E. So, J. Gunnersen, H. Valcanis, M. Kalloniatis & S.S. Tan (2006) Layer positioning of late-born cortical interneurons is dependent on Reelin but not p35 signaling. J. Neurosci. 26:1646-1655.
Keeble, T., M. Halford, C. Seaman, N. Kee, M. Macheda, R. Anderson, S. Stacker and H. Cooper (2006) The Wnt receptor Ryk is required for Wnt5a-mediated axon guidance on the contralateral side of the corpus callosum. J. Neurosci. 26:5840-5848.
2007
Spalding, K.L., R.D. Bhardwaj, B.A. Buchholz, H. Druid & J. Frisen (2005) Retrospective birth dating of cells in humans. Cell 122:133-143.
2006
Goldshmit, Y., M.P. Galea, G. Wise, P.F. Bartlett & A.M. Turnley (2004) Axonal regeneration and lack of astrocytic gliosis in EphA4-deficient mice. J. Neurosci. 24:10064-73.
2005
Banks, G.B., P.T. Choy, N.A. Lavidis & P.G. Noakes (2003) Neuromuscular synapses mediate motor axon branching and motoneuron survival during the embryonic period of programmed cell death. Dev. Biol. 257:71-84.
2003
Rietze, R.L., H. Valcanis, G.F. Brooker, T. Thomas, A.K. Voss, & P.F. Bartlett (2001) Purification of a pluripotent neural stem cell from the adult mouse brain. Nature 412:736-739.
2002
Joint Prize Between
Taylor, R., S. He, W. Levick & D.I. Vaney (2000) Dendritic computation of direction selectivity by retinal ganglion cells. Science 289:2347-2350
Rosa, M.G., R. Tweedale & G. Elston (2000) Visual responses of neurons in the middle temporal area of new world monkeys after lesions of striate cortex. J. Neurosci. 20:5552-5563
2001
Gandevia, S.C., N. Petersen, J.E. Butler & J.L. Taylor. (1999) Impaired response of human motoneurones to corticospinal stimulation after voluntary exercise. J. Physiol. 521:749-759.
1999
Elston, G.N. & M.G. Rosa (1997). The occipitoparietal pathway of the macaque monkey: comparison of pyramidal cell morphology in layer III of functionally related cortical visual areas. Cereb. Cortex. 7:432-452
1997
Lipski, J., R. Kanjhan, B. Kruszewska & M. Smith. (1995) Barosensitive neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla of the rat in-vivo: morphological properties and relationship to C1 adrenergic neurons. Neuroscience 69:601-618.
