Rate My Professor Paul Katz

Paul S. Katz is Professor and Chair of the Department of Biology, and Director of the Initiative on Neurosciences, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He received a B.A. and M.S. in Integrated Science from Northwestern University in 1982, a Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1989, and completed postdoctoral research at Brandeis University from 1989 to 1992. Earlier in his career, he served as a Research Assistant in the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston from 1992 to 1996, and later as a faculty member at Georgia State University, where he attained the rank of Regents Professor. Katz's research investigates the structure, function, development, and evolution of nervous systems, focusing on the nudibranch mollusc Berghia stephanieae. Unlike vertebrates, Berghia adds neurons throughout its life, offering unique insights into lifelong neurogenesis, brain regeneration, and neural circuit plasticity. His lab integrates volume electron microscopy, transcriptomics, physiological recordings, and behavioral studies to map developmental connectomes and explore olfactory coding mechanisms. Collaborating with Jeff Lichtman’s laboratory at Harvard, the team reconstructs neurons and synapses to track individual neuron connectivity from hatching, when the central ganglia contain only 500 neurons, expanding tenfold within weeks. This work, funded by grants from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, challenges universal principles of olfactory glomerular organization and reveals alternative neural coding strategies in molluscs.

Katz has profoundly influenced neuroethology through seminal publications that have garnered thousands of citations. Key works include 'The evolution of neuronal circuits underlying species-specific behavior' (1999, 279 citations), 'Intrinsic neuromodulation: altering neuronal circuits from within' (1996, 238 citations), 'Evolution of central pattern generators and rhythmic behaviours' (2016, 229 citations), and 'Dynamic neuromodulation of synaptic strength intrinsic to a central pattern generator circuit' (1994, 194 citations). Recent contributions encompass 'Evolution of cephalopod nervous systems' (Current Biology, 2023), 'Cellular-resolution gene expression mapping reveals organization in the head ganglia of the gastropod, Berghia stephanieae' (Journal of Comparative Neurology, 2024), and 'Social predation by a nudibranch mollusc' (Integrative Organismal Biology, 2025). These studies elucidate conserved neural mechanisms and species-specific adaptations, advancing knowledge of circuit evolution and plasticity. As department chair and neuroscience director, Katz fosters interdisciplinary research and training at UMass Amherst, shaping the next generation of neuroscientists.