In 2010, Karolinska Institutet will celebrate its 200 year anniversary, and this includes events of many different types. We thought it would be a good idea to remind the science community of the important research in neuroscience that was initiated by the late Nils-Åke Hillarp (1916-1965). He came to Karolinska Institutet in 1962 and started up research on monoamine neurotransmitters using a histochemical fluorescence method that had just been developed by him and his student, Bengt Falck, in Lund. Thus, by treating sections with formaldehyde vapours catecholamines and serotonin neurons could, for the first time, be demonstrated in the microscope - the birth of chemical neuroanatomy. This was the start of research which is still ongoing at Karolinska as well as many other universities around the world.
The plan is to hold a 2-day symposium here at the Karolinska Institutet and to include a reception at Stockholm City Hall. Furthermore, we are in the process of organizing a special issue of Progress in Neurobiology to honor this research. This will be part of a series of publications appearing in connection with the Anniversary. In fact, Professor Jan Lindsten, who is in charge of the preparations for the Jubilee, has confirmed that the Institute will support this book project. In this way, Nils-Åke Hillarp and the research initiated by him will become part of the history of Karolinska Institutet.