Dr. Hoffman has studied neurobiological processes in a variety of model animals ranging from Manduca sexta (the common tobacco hawkmoth) to the European rabbit. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a doctoral degree in Biology from the Institute of Neuroscience at the University of Oregon, Eugene. His research has involved diverse aspects of neurobiology and behavior, including neuronal differentiation and myelination, neuroendocrinology and programmed cell death, reproductive behavior, and animal models for studying obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia. Currently, his work focuses on the neurobiological underpinnings of animal behavior – both normal and abnormal – in order to gain a better understanding of the neurobiology of human mental illness.