Faculty Achievement Recognition
The 2007 Honorees
Faculty Achievement Recognition
The 2007 Honorees
Leonid L. Moroz
Assistant Professor
Department of Neuroscience and Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, College of Medicine
1998
Degrees earned:
Ph.D., Institute of Developmental Biology, Academy of Sciences, Russia, 1989
ProfessorLeonid Moroz is considered one of the leaders in neuronal genomics and a pioneer in the development of the field. He has adapted and developed innovative technologies, making it possible to identify all the genes active in single nerve cells. This technological and conceptual breakthrough has been recognized by the Human Genome Institute with an $11 million Center of Excellence in Genomics grant—the only one of its kind awarded in 2003. Subsequently, he was awarded with the creation of the $15 – $20 million Aplysia genome project, of which Moroz is the principal investigator. Moroz has received the first research grant ($1.5 million) awarded by the Packard Foundation to UF. His vision, energy and creativity is reflected in other ongoing initiatives that benefit many other research groups at UF, including the establishment of the “454” DNA sequencing technology at UF. His drive for new technologies has better addressed the demands of genomic analysis. In addition to his achievements in neurogenomics, Moroz continues to make significant contributions in phylogenetics, including the recent identification of a new phylum of organisms, the phylum Xenoturbella.
