Dr Daniel Hommer, 64 years, chief of NIAAA’s section on brain electrophysiology and imaging, died on 2 January. He had served as head of the section since 1992, his second tenure working at NIH.

Dan Hommer was born in Easton, Pennsylvania, and received his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and his M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. After completing his residency in psychiatry at Yale University, he joined the section of neuropsychopharmacology at NIMH in 1982. From 1982 to 1987, he was co-director of electrophysiology unit of the Clinical Neuroscience Branch.

A dedicated and respected scientist and physician with many contributions to the field of alcohol research and imaging, Dan was an outstanding mentor and was world-renowned for his discoveries on structural and functional differences in brains of alcoholic and non-alcoholic individuals. He had more than 150 publications. Many of his students and mentees are now well-known and major contributors to the field of imaging and addictions.

He served the community in diverse ways, notably by chairing and serving on the NIAAA and CNS Institutional Review Boards and serving on the NIAAA promotion and tenure committee and scientific review committee. He was a member of several scientific organizations, including the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Organization for Human Brain Mapping and Research Society for Alcoholism.

Above all, Dan was known as a kind and tolerant individual who was much beloved by his family, friends and colleagues and he will be sorely missed.