David Fitzpatrick

David Fitzpatrick, CEO and scientific director of the Max Planck Florida Institute, was among the outstanding Americans who were honored May 7 in New York City with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Presented by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, the award recognizes important community leaders who have changed the lives of others around the world.

Fitzpatrick was recognized for his scientific contributions as a leader in systems neuroscience. His award-winning research focuses on the functional organization and development of neural circuits in the cerebral cortex – the largest and most complex area of the brain.

Fitzpatrick joined the Max Planck Florida Institute from the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C. He has received numerous awards for his research accomplishments.

Past recipients of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor include six U.S. presidents, several Nobel Prize winners, athletes, leaders of industry, artists and others whose work has made a lasting impact on humanity.

Edited by Amy Woods