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Leonard Edward White

Associate Professor in Neurology
Neurology, General & Community Neurology
Box 91003, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Durham, NC 27708
M056 Levine Science Research Center, 308 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Structure and function of the mammalian brain

A long-standing goal of the ever-expanding field of neuroscience is to understand the structure and function of the brain, as well as the fundamental principles that shape its development and evolution. These are exciting times for those of us privileged to contribute to these lines of inquiry. New tools and new approaches are making possible new views and new ways of understanding brain structure and function at an ever-increasing pace.

Together with exceptional colleagues in the Duke Center for In Vivo Microscopy, the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, and the University of Pittsburgh, we are developing state-of-the-science magnetic resonance methods for interrogating brain structure in preclinical applications that are fully compatible with  complimentary approaches, such as light sheet microscopy. These methods are combing to provide new insights into the microscopic structure of the brain, whole-brain connectivity (quantitative connectomics), and how the microscopic structure of neural tissue constrains connectivity and function in preclinical animal models of health and disease.

Along with these current research activities, I continue to sustain interest in understanding how sensorimotor experience in early life influences — for better or worse — the formation and maturation of functional neural circuits in the cerebral cortex. Elsewhere in my scholarly portfolio, I remain active at the intersection of the brain sciences and the humanities, and in the science and scholarship of teaching and learning.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor in Neurology · 2017 - Present Neurology, General & Community Neurology, Neurology
Associate Director of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences · 2016 - Present Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, University Institutes and Centers
Director of Undergraduate Studies of Neuroscience · 2019 - Present Psychology & Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Associate Professor of Neurobiology · 2010 - Present Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments
Associate Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery · 2017 - Present Orthopaedic Surgery, Clinical Science Departments
Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience · 2018 - Present Psychology & Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences · 2011 - Present Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, University Institutes and Centers
Faculty Associate in the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities, & History of Medicine · 2020 - Present Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities & History of Medicine, Institutes and Centers

In the News


Published September 6, 2023
How Duke Researchers Defend the Brain
Published July 24, 2023
Parents’ Gift Honors an Adviser Who Helped Their Daughter’s Interest in Brain Science
Published April 17, 2023
Brain Images Just Got 64 Million Times Sharper

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Recent Publications


The Duke Mouse Brain Atlas: MRI and light sheet microscopy stereotaxic atlas of the mouse brain.

Journal Article Sci Adv · May 2, 2025 Atlases of the brain are critical resources that make it possible to share data in a common reference frame. Unexpectedly, there is no three-dimensional (3D) stereotaxic atlas of the mouse brain that provides whole brain coverage at macro to single-cell le ... Full text Link to item Cite

Anatomy Drawing: Dissecting the Impact of Art in Medicine.

Journal Article Med Sci Educ · April 2025 INTRODUCTION: Many studies have examined the role of medical humanities in processing overall academic and emotional experiences, but few have studied the impact of visual art on human body dissection reflection. At the Duke University School of Medicine, ... Full text Link to item Cite

Porous Embodiment and Poetic Knowledge: An Emergent Dialogue Between a Puppetry Artist and a Neuroscientist

Journal Article Leonardo · April 1, 2025 AbstractThis article illustrates a collaboration-in-formation between a performing artist and a neuroscientist. The authors focus on the early clarification of cross-disciplinary language and their recogniti ... Full text Open Access Cite
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Recent Grants


Ultra-high Resolution Structural Connectome Atlases of the Animal Brain and their Associated Toolbox

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by University of Pittsburgh · 2022 - 2026

The Development of Direction Selectivity in Visual Cortex

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1996 - 2011

A probabilistic concept of sensory cortical function

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2003 - 2006

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Education, Training & Certifications


Washington University in St. Louis · 1992 Ph.D.