Nathan Urban, PhD, has been selected to serve a two-year term as chair of NIH's Somatosensory and Chemosensory Systems Study Section, starting July 1. "Members are selected on the basis of their demonstrated competence and achievement in their scientific discipline as evidenced by the quality of research accomplishments, publications in scientific journals, and other significant scientific activities, achievements and honors," said Richard Nakamura, PhD, Director of NIH's Center for Scientific Review.

Urban is Pitt's Vice Provost for Special Projects, Co-director of the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Neurobiology, and Associate Director of the Brain Institute.  Urban conducts research on the physiological and circuit mechanisms underlying the functional and computational properties of brain neuronal networks, particularly in the olfactory system.