Dr Michael Terrance McGuire passed away peacefully at his ranch in Northern California on February 1, 2016 from lung cancer. He was 86 years old.

Born in Berkeley, California, he attended the University of California at Berkeley, and medical school at the University of Rochester. He then completed an internship at the University of California, San Francisco, Hospital and a residency in psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He joined the Harvard Medical School faculty while still a resident in 1961 and directed the Massachusetts General Hospital psychiatry residency training program from 1968 to 1971, when he joined the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles. Beginning in 1972, his research on non-human primates (later extended to humans) demonstrated the critical role of serotonin, among other neurotransmitters, on social behavior and helped to launch the neurotransmitter revolution. His subsequent book, Darwinian Psychiatry (co-authored by Alfonso Troisi), provided the first comprehensive framework for understanding the evolutionary biological underpinnings of mental illness.

Dr McGuire led an entire generation of scholars in modern psychiatry to consider a broader field of enquiry that incorporated neurochemistry, systems theory, artificial intelligence and evolutionary theory. Many outside of academic psychiatry, including primatologists, ethologists, social scientists, legal theorists, and military consultants sought his input and worked with him on joint research projects. He consulted to numerous professional organizations, served as an editor and reviewer for multiple scientific journals, and authored over 165 peer reviewed articles. In his 'retirement' years, he published several books examining the relationship between neuroscience, human belief systems and religious faith.

A man with many intellectual interests, diverse friendships, and a love for adventure, Dr McGuire traveled often and had a special affinity for London, Rome and the remotest areas of every continent. He felt a keen sense of obligation to preserve the gifts of nature and country and generously contributed to environmental causes and services to support veterans - especially those who had suffered severe physical or psychological injury. He is survived by his wife Nancy McGuire, his sister Carroll McGuire Ulrich, his children, Marsden, Stuart, Terrance, Katherine, and Colleen, and four grandchildren and two beloved dogs. He also leaves behind loving friends and colleagues from the Bohemian Club, the Gruter Institute, and many professional organizations. He was an inspiration to so many and will be sorely missed.