1992 Viktor Hamburger award to Dr Ira Black

In an effort to recognize outstanding contributions to developmental neuroscience, the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience and Pergamon Press have established an annual award in honor of Viktor Hamburger, whose seminal contributions shaped our approach to cell death and growth factor effects in the nervous system. Nominations for the Viktor Hamburger Award are made by our Editorial Board and the final selectian is made by the Editor in Chief in ~ons~tation with the Associate Editors. The recipient is invited to submit a short review to reflect their present position on some area of developmental neuroscience that is likely to be of importance in the near future. Thus, rather than a retrospective view, we ask our awardee to share a view of what is to come. The 1992 Viktor Hamburger Awardee is Ira Black, MD. Dr Black has been a pioneer in his attempts to provide an integrated ~nderstand~g of the mechanisms of action of the neurotrophins that include behavioral activity, The enclosed review provides a discussion of his views on the more dynamic aspects of neurotrophin action.