Professor Peter McCaffery is a distinguished neuroscientist at the University of Aberdeen whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of Vitamin A (retinoic acid) in the brain. Originally trained in biochemistry and pathology in New Zealand and further honed through postdoctoral and faculty roles at Harvard Medical School and UMass, he joined Aberdeen in 2006 and served as co-director of the Institute of Medical Sciences until 2015. His research explores how retinoic acid regulates brain functions—from neuroplasticity and gene expression to hypothalamic control of body systems—and aims to leverage these insights to develop therapeutic retinoid-based compounds for neurodegenerative disorders such as ALS and Alzheimer's.