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Susumu Tonegawa is a renowned Picower Professor in the Department of Biology at MIT. He focuses on the biological underpinnings of learning and memory, particularly in rodents. Tonegawa's research aims to uncover the molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive neural circuit functions related to learning and memory. He generates genetically engineered mice and utilizes various approaches including molecular and cellular biology, electrophysiology, microscopic imaging, and optogenetic engineering to analyze how brain manipulations affect behaviors and cognitions. His work seeks to elucidate how specific processes at the molecular, cellular, and neuronal circuit levels lead to observable cognitive events. Tonegawa has received significant academic accolades, including the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1987 and the Albert and Mary Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research the same year. He was elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1986.