Dr. Linden received the M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil, and is currently a Full Professor and Head of the Laboratory of Neurogenesis, and former Director of the Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho at UFRJ. His research work is directed at mechanisms of development of the central nervous system, neurodegeneration, and gene therapy. Dr. Linden is best known for his contributions to the understanding of the control of programmed cell death in the central nervous system, and more recently, for studies of the functional properties of the prion protein, involved in the pathogenesis of both spongiform encephalopathies and Alzheimer’s Disease. He is an editorial board member of the journals IBRO Reports, Frontiers in Neuroscience, PLoS One, Peer Journal and Science Matters, a Senior Investigator of the Brazilian National Research Council, a full member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and member of the Latin American Academy of Sciences. He was awarded the Grand-Cross of the National Order of Scientific Merit, by the President of the Republic of Brazil.