The Békésy Laboratory of Neurobiology was founded in 1966 as the Laboratory of Sensory Sciences when the late Nobel laureate Georg von Békésy was persuaded to leave Harvard University to take up an appointment as Research Professor at the University of Hawaii. The present building was designed and built under Dr. Békésy's supervision to provide facilities for research in basic neurobiology and psychophysics. Dr. Békésy established the unusually well-equipped machine shop and hired the Laboratory electronics technician, Hinano Akaka.
 
The Laboratory is a research program of the Pacific Biosciences Research Center. Twelve faculty members holding research appointments or instructional appointments in various academic departments contribute to the program. These scientists conduct research in a broad range of neuroscience disciplines including the biophysics and chemistry of ionic channels in excitable membranes; cellular electrophysiological, morphological and biochemical studies of neurosecretion; analyis and modeling of small neuronal systems and their integrative functioning; neuroecological aspects of mechanoreception; sexually determined differences in brain hormone and peptide receptor distribution; neural and pharmacological control of fear and aggression; and comparative studies and theoretical modeling of learning processes. More information about these areas of research may be found on the pages of the individual faculty members.