David Forrest Clayton is an American neuroscientist, biochemist, and academic. He is professor and the chair of the Department of Genetics & Biochemistry at Clemson University. Clayton is most known for his work on the interplay between the brain and the genome in regulating cognitive processes involved in the filtering, encoding, and retrieval of memories. He pioneered the application of molecular genetics to research using songbirds as a model for learning, memory, and brain development leading to whole genome sequencing of the zebra finch in 2010. His research has contributed to topics ranging from neurodegenerative disease to social behavior and he coined the term “Genomic action potential” to describe the complex, structured genomic response to acute experience. His research has been featured in newspapers including BBC News, The Wall Street Journal, and Newsweek. Source: Wikipedia (en)