Dr. Kafui Dzirasa is the first African American to complete a PhD in Neurobiology at Duke University. His research interests focus on understanding how changes in the brain produce neurological and mental illness. Kafui obtained an MD from the Duke University School of Medicine in 2009 and completed residency training in General Psychiatry in 2016. Kafui was featured on CBS 60 Minutes and has been awarded the One Mind Rising Star Award and the Sydney Baer Prize for Schizophrenia Research. In 2017, he was recognized as 40 under 40 in Health by the National Minority Quality Forum, and the Engineering Alumni of the Year from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Kafui was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE): the nation’s highest award for scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. He has also been recognized with the Alan Leshner Public Engagement Fellowship from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Society for Neuroscience Young Investigator Award. He has served on the Editorial Advisory Board for TEDMED and currently serves on the Advisory Committee for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director. Kafui is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator.
Positions & Education
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC (2023-Present)
Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Duke University Hospital
Durham, NC (2010-2016)
Residency, General Psychiatry
Duke University School of Medicine
Durham, NC (2001-2009)
Doctor of Medicine
Medical Scientist Training Program
Duke University
Durham, NC (2007-2009)
Postdoctoral Research
Advisor: Miguel Nicolelis
Duke University Graduate School
Durham NC (2003-2007)
Doctor of Philosophy in Neurobiology
Thesis: Electrophysiological Correlates of Neurological and Psychiatric Disease
Advisor: Miguel Nicolelis
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Baltimore, MD (1996-2001)
Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Magna cum laude
Meyerhoff Scholar
Honors & Awards
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator
2021
Benjamin Franklin NextGen Award Laureate
2021
Elected to the National Academy of Medicine
2021
Distinguished Professor Award - (2024)
Presidential Distinguished Chair - (2023)
Elected Member of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering - (2023)
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Full Member – 2023
National Institutes of Health Pioneer Award – (2022)
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Daniel H. Efron Research Award – (2021)
Duke University Presidential Award for Distinguished Service – (2021)
Duke Medical School Ruth and A. Morris Williams, Jr. Faculty Research Prize – (2021)
Duke Medical School Early Career Mentoring Award in Basic – Translational Science – (2020)
Society for Neuroscience Young Investigator Award – (2019)
Duke University Graduate School Few-Glasson Alumni Society – (2019)
American Society for Clinical Investigation – (2019)
AAAS Alan Leshner Public Engagement Fellowship – (2019)
American Institute of Chemical Engineers MAC Eminent Engineer Award – (2018)
Engineering Alumni of the Year, UMBC – (2017)
NMQF 40 Under 40 Leaders in Minority Health – (2017)
Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers – (2016)
Awarded NIH Clinical Lasker Fellowship (declined) – (2016)
Duke Medicine Alumni Emerging Leader Award – (2016)
Robert J. Lefkowitz Society for Physician Scientists – (2014)
Appleseed Resident Teaching Award – (2014)
Sidney R. Baer, Jr. Prize for Schizophrenia Research – (2013)
National Institute of Mental Health Outstanding Resident Award – (2013)
One Mind Institute Rising Star Translational Research Award – (2013)
Duke Institute of Brain Sciences Research Incubator Award – (2013)
TheGrio’s 100 Award: Making History Today – (2013)
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Travel Award – (2011)
NIMH Brain Camp Travel Award – (2009)
UNCF Merck Postdoctoral Science Research Fellow – (2008)
Days of Molecular Medicine Travel Award – (2008)
Young Leaders of the Future, EBONY magazine – (2008)
Somjen Award for Most Outstanding Dissertation Thesis – (2007)
Charles Johnson Leadership Award – (2007)
Minority Trainee Research Forum Travel Award – (2006)
Ruth K. Broad Biomedical Research Fellow – (2006-2007)
Awarded American Psychological Association DPN Fellowship – (2006)
UNCF Merck Graduate Science Research Fellow – (2006-2007)
Wakeman Fellow – (2003-2005)
Medical Scientist Training Program – (2001-2003)
United States Achievement Academy Academic All-American Scholar – (1999)
CoSIDA Academic All-American Scholar – (1999)
Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges – (1999)
National Collegiate Minority Leadership Award – (1999)
Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholarship Award – (1999)
UMBC Community Service and Leadership Award – (1999)
Northeast Conference Academic Honor Roll – (1998-1999)
Dean’s List – (1997-2000)
Meyerhoff Scholarship recipient – (1996-2001)
Interests:
Changing the world
Invited Presentations
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Keynote Speaker
Computational Neuroscience (COSYNE), Lisbon, PortugalInvited Speaker
American Council of Education Presidents and Chancellors Summit, Washington, DCInvited Plenary Speaker
American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, Denver, COInvited Panelist
Leadership Alliance annual meeting, Washington, DC -
Invited Speaker
Department of Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, CTInvited Speaker
Computational and Systems Neuroscience (COSYNE), Montreal, CanadaKeynote Speaker
International Brain Research Organization World Congress, Granada, SpainKeynote Speaker
European Congress of Neuropsychopharmacology Annual Congress, Barcelona, SpainKeynote Speaker
Annual Biomedical Research Conference Minority Students (ABRCMS), Phoenix, AZ -
Invited Keynote
Winter Enrichment Program, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaGrand Rounds
Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center. Durham, NCInvited Speaker
Department of Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MAGrand Rounds
Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center. Durham, NCInvited Speaker
Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TXInvited Speaker
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NCInvited Speaker
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MSInvited Lecture
Linehan Family Behavioral Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MDInvited Keynote
Neuroscience for Primetime Symposium, Society of Biological Psychiatry, New Orleans, LAInvited Speaker
Society of Biological Psychiatry Symposium, New Orleans, LAInvited Speaker
The Biology of Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Cell Press Symposium, Sitges, SpainInvited Keynote
4th Conference on the Neurobiology of Mental Disorders, University of Geneva, Geneva, SwitzerlandInvited Keynote
McKnight 2022 Conference on Neuroscience, Aspen, COInvited Keynote
University of Alabama Birmingham, Department of Neuroscience, Birmingham, ALInvited Keynote
Universities at Shady Grove Science Symposium, Shady Grove, MDInvited Keynote
BRAIN Initiative Investigators Meeting, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MDInvited Keynote
Gordon Research Conference, Optogenetics, Newry, MEInvited Speaker
Scripps Institute, La Jolla, CAInvited Speaker
Dorris Neuroscience Center Symposium, Scripps Institute, La Jolla, CASpecial Lecture
Society for Neuroscience Annual Conference, Washington, DCKeynote Lecture
Montreal AI and Neuroscience (MAIN), Montreal, Canada -
Invited Presenter
Toronto SickKids, CPIN Distinguished Lecture, Toronto, CanadaBearg Lecture
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PAInvited Presenter
Regeneron, New York, NYInvited Presenter
NIH ABCD study Annual MeetingDistinguished Lecturer
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Annual Meeting, San Juan, Puerto RicoInvited Presenter
BRAIN Initiative Multi-Council Working GroupInvited Panelist
Bio-, Nano- and Converging Technologies (BNCT), OECD Virtual WorkshopInvited Speaker
Salk Institute, San Diego, CAInvited Presenter
USA Science and Engineering Festival, X-STEM All AccessInvited Presenter
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Simons Center for the Social Brain Colloquium Series, Cambridge, MAInvited Panelist
AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint MeetingInvited Presenter
National Institute of Mental Health Annual Scientific RetreatInvited Panelist
Workshop on Evolving the Culture of Science and Training, National Academies, Washington, DCInvited Speaker
Princeton University, Department of Neuroscience, Trenton, NJInvited Speaker
Capital Global, Inc., Worldwide Seminar, Los Angeles, CAInvited Panelist
National Institute of Drug Abuse Symposium on Ethnic/Racial Disparities, Baltimore, MDInvited Keynote
Diverse Brains Forum, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CAInvited Keynote
Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TNInvited Presenter
National Academy of Medicine Workshop: Evolving the Culture of Science and Training in Neuroscience to Meet a Changing World, Washington, DCInvited Speaker
Research!America Alliance Member MeetingInvited Panelist
Yale Law School, New Haven, CTInvited Presenter
Yale University, Department of Psychology, New Haven, CTGrand Rounds Speaker
New York University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NYInvited Presenter
New York University, Neuroscience Institute, New York, NYInvited Keynote
Yale Intersections Science Fellow Symposium, New Haven, CT -
Invited Speaker
National Institute of Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MDInvited Panelist
Milken Future of Health Summit, Washington, DCInvited Presenter
National Academy of Medicine, Mentoring Panel, Washington, DCInvited Speaker
Department of Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WAInvited Speaker
Department of Neuroscience, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CAInvited Presenter
National Academy of Engineering Business Meeting, Washington, DCInvited Panelist
Research!America Annual Meeting, Washington, DCInvited Speaker
Medical Scientist Training Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, NY, NYInvited Presenter
Association of Science and Technology Center’s New Frontiers ConferenceInvited Speaker
Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PAInvited Speaker
Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FLInvited Speaker
Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MDInvited Speaker
Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, MIT, Cambridge, MAInvited Speaker
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CACo-host
TEDMED 2020 -
Invited Keynote Speaker
NeurIPS, Vancouver, CanadaKeynote Speaker – Healthy Churches 2020 Conference, Charlotte, NC
WATCHInvited Speaker and Panelist
Cell Press-Beijing Conference: AI and the Brain, Beijing, ChinaInvited Panelist
Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Durham, NCInvited Speaker
Harvard University, Department of Neuroscience, Boston, MAInvited Lecturer
Advanced Neuroscience Courses, Molecular Basis of Resilience to Depression, Venice, ItalyInvited Speaker
Gordon Research Conference, Amygdala Function in Emotion, Cognition and DiseaseKeynote Speaker
Ohio State Medical Scientist Training Program Retreat, Columbus, OHInvited Speaker
Federation of European Neuroscience Society Regional Meeting, Belgrade, SerbiaInvited Speaker
American Physician Scientist Association Meeting, Durham, DCInvited Speaker
Aspen Institute, Washington, DCInvited Speaker
American Academy of Neurology, Philadelphia, PAInvited Speaker
Milken Global Conference, Los Angeles, CAInvited Speaker
Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine, Philadelphia, PAPanelist
National Minority Quality Forum Annual SummitGrand Rounds Speaker
University of Pennsylvania, Department of Psychiatry, Philadelphia, PAInvited Speaker
NIH, Neuroscience Series Seminar, Bethesda, MDInvited Speaker
Einstein College of Medicine, Translational Medicine Lecture Series, Bronx, NYInvited Keynote
USA Science and Engineering Festival, X-STEM, Washington, DC.
WATCHInvited Speaker
UT Southwestern School of Medicine, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Dallas, TXInvited Speaker
Goldman Sachs, World Wide Partners Meeting, NY, NY -
Honors Lecture
NYU School of Medicine, NY, NYKeynote Speaker
Annual Biomedical Research Conference Minority Students (ABRCMS)Opening Host
TEDMED 2018Invited Speaker
Brown University, Department of Neuroscience, Providence, RIInvited Speaker
McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MAInvited Speaker
Columbia University, Zuckerman Institute, New York, NYDistinguished Speaker
University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology, Los Angeles, CAKeynote Panelist
Friedman Dialogues, Association of Science-Technology Centers Annual Meeting, Hartford, CTDistinguished Grand Rounds Speaker
University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Minneapolis, MNInvited Speaker
Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, Department of Neuroscience, NY, NYInvited Speaker
Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MAInvited Speaker
Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai School, Department of Neuroscience, NY, NYPresidential Plenary Speaker
Society of Biological Psychiatry Annual Meeting, NY, NYGrand Rounds Speaker
University of Buffalo MD, Department of Psychiatry, Buffalo, NYKeynote Speaker
NAMI Buffalo and Erie County Annual Awards Dinner, Buffalo, NYModerator and Panelist
National Minority Quality Forum Annual SummitInvited Presenter
NIMH Brain CampInvited Speaker
Culture Shift Labs Annual summit, Menlo Park, CAKeynote Speaker
Medical Scientist Training Program Annual Symposium, University of RochesterInvited Panelist
Research!America, Annual Meeting. Washington, DCInvited Speaker
University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Medicine, Cardiac ElectrophysiologyInvited Speaker
Transparency, Recognition, and Innovation in Peer Review in the Life Sciences, ASAPbio, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Wellcome -
Invited Speaker
North Carolina School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Molecular Biomedical SciencesInvited Speaker
University of California San Francisco, Department of NeuroscienceCo-host
TEDMED 2017Invited Plenary Speaker
National Academy of Medicine, Annual Meeting. Washington, DCInvited Speaker
University of Maryland Baltimore County, Department of Chemical and Biochemical EngineeringInvited Speaker
University of Texas San Antonio, Medical Scientist Training ProgramInvited Speaker
University of Maryland at Baltimore, Medical Scientist Training ProgramKeynote Speaker
Gateways to the Lab TRI-Intuition research program, Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan KetteringInvited Speaker
AAMC MD-PhD Section Professional Development MeetingInvited Speaker
Aspen Brain Lab, Aspen, ColoradoInvited Speaker
Partnering for Cures, Milken InstituteInvited Speaker
Aspen Ideas Festival, Aspen, ColoradoInvited Speaker
University of Virginia MSTP ProgramKeynote Speaker
University of North Carolina, Pierre Morrell UNC Neuroscience RetreatInvited Speaker
Hunter College and Weill Cornell Medical College, Clinical Translation Science Center (CTSC) science symposium: Stress and ResilienceInvited Speaker
AMA Inspiration in Medicine, Chicago IllinoisInvited Speaker
University of Chicago, Northwestern, and University of Illinois Chicago MSTP programsKeynote Speaker
American Physician Scientist Association Annual MeetingInvited Speaker
Department of Neuroscience, University of Colorado Anschultz
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Invited Participant
21st Century Cures Act Bill SigningInvited Speaker
TEDMED 2016
WATCHInvited Panelist
White House Frontiers Conference Panel with President Barack H. Obama
WATCHInvited Speaker
Department of Psychiatry, Johns HopkinsInvited Panelist
Partnering for Cures Big Data Panel with NIH and FDA Directors, Milken Institute
WATCHInvited Speaker
Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of MedicineInvited Speaker
Molecular Psychiatry Annual MeetingInvited Speaker
MTSP Retreat, Duke University Medical CenterInvited Speaker
National Institute of Environmental Health SciencesInvited Speaker
Department of Psychiatry, UCSDInvited Speaker
Gordon Research Conference, OptogeneticsGrand Rounds
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Duke University Medical Center. Durham, NCContributing Scientist
PBS Documentary, Ride the Tiger
WATCHInvited Speaker
Brown Institute of Brain Science, Brown UniversityInvited Speaker
Sackler Institute, Weill Medical College -
Invited Speaker
Molecular Psychiatry Annual MeetingInvited Speaker
Gordon Research Conference, Amygdala in Health and DiseaseInvited Speaker
NYU Lagone School of Medicine -
Invited Presenter
American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Annual MeetingFox 8 News
WATCHPresidential Symposium
Association of Psychological Science Annual Meeting
WATCHInvited Speaker
One Mind for ResearchInvited Speaker
Iowa Governor’s Conference on Substance AbuseResearch Seminar
Morehouse School of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience -
Invited Speaker
Partnering for Cures, Milken InstituteSymposium Presentation
Society for NeuroscienceInvited Speaker
National Center for Responsible Gambling Annual MeetingInvited Presenter
Wiring the Brain, Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryInvited Presenter
The Alliance, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Bethesda, MDInvited Speaker
Brain Camp, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Bethesda, MD -
Invited Speaker
Celebration of Science, Milken Institute/NIH, Bethesda, MD.Research Seminar
J. Craig Venture Institute, Rockville, MDResearch Seminar
Emory University, Department of Psychiatry, Atlanta, GAResearch Seminar
University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry, Pittsburgh, PAResearch Seminar
Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, New York, NY -
Contributor
CBS 60 MinutesInvited Speaker
Association of Research in Nervous and Mental Disorders (ARNMD)Invited Speaker
Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority StudentsInvited Speaker
University of Pennsylvania Department of NeuroscienceResearch Seminar
National Institutes of Drug Abuse (NIDA), Baltimore, MD -
Grand Rounds
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Duke University Medical Center. Durham, NC (2010)Research Presentation
Merck. West Point, PA (2009)Research Presentation
Merck. West Point, PA (2007)Grand Rounds
John Umpstead Hospital. Butner, NC (2006)
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K. Dzirasa, S. H. Lisanby. “How does DBS work?” Biological Psychiatry, 2012. 72(11):892-4.
J.A. Gordon, K¬. Dzirasa, “Animal models of psychiatric disorders.” Neuroscience. 2016 May 3;321:1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.02.004.
K. Dzirasa. “The neural substrates of a super memory.” Science Translational Medicine, Mar 2017: Vol. 9, Issue 383, eaan0770. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aan0770
K. Dzirasa. “Working memory: The real VIP.” Science Translational Medicine, May 2017: Vol. 9, Issue 389, eaan3779. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aan3779
K. Dzirasa. “When they go low, we go high.” Science Translational Medicine, Jun 2017: Vol. 9, Issue 395, eaan6193. DIO: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aan6193
K. Dzirasa. “A brilliant approach to study the basis of intelligence?” Science Translational Medicine, Aug 2017: Vol. 9, Issue 401, eaao0978. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aao0978
K. Dzirasa. “In the mood for food.” Science Translational Medicine, Sep 2017: Vol. 9, Issue 407, eaao6124. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aao6124
K. Dzirasa. “The new stars of synaptic regulation.” Science Translational Medicine, Oct 2017: Vol. 9, Issue 413, eaap8174. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aap8174
K. Dzirasa. “Brain leak, mind bleak.” Science Translational Medicine, Dec 2017: Vol. 9, Issue 419, eaar4429. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aar4429
K. Dzirasa. “Neuronal supression causing depression?” Science Translational Medicine, Jan 2018: Vol. 10, Issue 425, eaar7520. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aar7520
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K. Dzirasa. “A New Approach to Treat Mental Illness: Electrical Engineering.” WIRED. Jun 28, 2019.
K. Dzirasa “COVID-19 is threat to our biomedical research enterprise.” The Hill. May 14, 2020.
K. Dzirasa, “For Black Scientists, the Sorrow Is Also Personal.” Cell (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.06.028
D. R. Weinberger, K. Dzirasa, L. L. Crumpton-Young, “Missing in action: African ancestry brain research.” Neuron (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2020.07.008
K. Dzirasa, “Inclusion is our roadmap back to global science dominance.” The Hill. July 26, 2020
K. Dzirasa, C. D. Lynn, J. K. Montclare, L. Stirling and B. Wuest. “We Must Change How We Fund Graduate School.” Inside Higher Ed, September 1, 2020
K. Dzirasa. “Revising the a Priori Hypothesis: Systemic Racism Has Penetrated Scientific Funding.” Cell (2020), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.09.026
S. Tilghman, B. Alberts, D. Colón-Ramos, Kafui Dzirasa, Judith Kimble, Harold Varmus. "Concrete steps to diversify the scientific workforce." Science (2021), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abf9679
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Dzirasa K. Chronic recordings in transgenic mice. In: Methods for Neural Ensemble Recordings, 2nd Edition. Chapter 5. M. Nicolelis (editor), CRC press, 2008. Boca Raton, FL.
Bowman, R., Schwennesen, H., Dzirasa, K., and Hultman, R. In Vivo Circuit Analysis. Chapter 7, Charney & Nestler’s Neurobiology of Mental Illness 5th edition, Oxford press, 87-94, 2018.
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National Institutes of Health, Advisory Committee to the NIH Director
Research!America, Board of Directors (2021)
Grass Foundation, Board of Trustees (2021)
One Mind, Scientific Advisory Board (2020)
BRAIN Initiative, Multi Council Workgroup (2020)
National Academy Report, Reviewer: Mental Health, Substance Use, and Wellbeing in Higher Education: Supporting the Whole Student (2020)
Federal BRAIN Initiative Multi-Council Working Group (2020)
NFL Players Association Mackey-White Health and Safety Committee (2019)
NIH Director’s Novel and Exceptional Technology and Research Advisory Committee (2019)
BRAIN 2.0 Advisory Committee to the NIH Director Working Group (2018-2019)
Rescuing Biomedical Research, Steering Committee (2018)
Duke Institutes for Brain Sciences, Faculty Governance Committee (2017-2019)
Editorial Advisory Board, TEDMED (2017-2020)
Associate Dean for Admissions Search Committee, Chair. Duke University School of Medicine (2017-2018)
Associate Scientific Advisor, Science Translational Medicine (2017-2018)
Next Generation Research Initiative Committee. National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (2016-2018)
NIH Physician Scientist Workforce Workshop (2016)
Primary Undergraduate Instructor. Fall Semester Neuro 211: Brain and Behavior (2015)
Research Domain Criteria (RDoC): Arousal/Modulatory Systems Working Group (2012)