all aspects of scientific and educational progress in the physiological sciences. It was there too that Covian founded the first Brazilian laboratory of neurophysiology. Leadership Covian was extremely active as a scientific leader. He was one of the founders and a president of the Brazilian Society of Physiology. He also was a strong force behind the graduate programs of the School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, and an innovator in the use of new approaches to the teaching of physiology. He was active in the editorial boards of several international scientific journals, such as "Physiology & Behavior" and the monograph series of "Progress in Brain Research", a member to several international committees, the International Brain Research Organization and the Latin American Federation of Physiological Sciences. Systematic study Covian's main achievement in neurophysiology was the systematic study, with a large group of collaborators, of the neural basis of thirst, of neuroendocrine regulation of hydroelectrolytic homeostasis, and of appetitive behavior, i.e., the behavior which permit animals to seek and to ingest particular foodstuffs or diet components, an activity which depends on many external and internal factors. The animal model used by Covian's group was the selective ingestion of water versus salt water in albino Norwegian rats, which they investigated with many approaches and tools, such as after lesions and stimulations of the central nervous system, measurement of metabolic activity, manipulation of the activity of the endocrine system, the effect of several kinds of drugs, etc. He also studied the role of the limbic system (particularly the septal area) on many behaviors and functions, such as the control of blood pressure, the neuroendocrine regulation of reproductive behavior, etc. Humanist Covian was also a humanist, deeply interested in the history and philosophy of science, history of medicine, epistemology, religion, classical music and erudite art. He retired at the mandatory age of 70, as a professor emeritus, but continued to appear regularly his office in the department Death Honored by his many colleagues, pupils and friends, Covian died on February 5, 1992, following complications of a stroke. Bibliography Covian, MR: Studies on the neurovegetative and behavioral functions of the brain septal area. Prog Brain Res. 1967;27:189-217. Covian, MR: Fisiologia del Área Septal. Conferéncias Eduardo Braun Menéndez. Buenos Aires, 1967. References External links Vicchi, F.L.: O Professor Miguel Rolando Covian. USP Ribeirão Preto, Newsletter No. 748, 2002 (In Portuguese). Interview with Miguel Covian. Center for Logics