Discipline

Neuroscience

Life Sciences

Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system, spanning the structure and function of individual nerve cells up through the circuits, networks, and behavior of the whole brain.

Facts
Founded Year
1873 1
Camillo Golgi's 1873 black reaction (la reazione nera), a silver-staining method that revealed individual neurons in their entirety for the first time, gave the field its essential tool; Santiago Ramon y Cajal used the same method to establish the neuron doctrine roughly two decades later.
Central Question
What is the biological basis of learning, memory, behavior, perception and consciousness, described by Nobel laureate Eric Kandel as the epic challenge of the biological sciences? 2
Scope
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system, the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system, its functions and its disorders, integrating physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, psychology and computer science. 2
Significance
Santiago Ramon y Cajal and Camillo Golgi shared the 1906 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their observations and classification of neurons, laying the cellular foundation modern neuroscience still builds on. The field only became formally institutionalized in the twentieth century, with the first freestanding neuroscience department founded at the University of California, Irvine in 1964 and the Society for Neuroscience following in 1969. 2
Neuroscience
Filter Results2 entries
Connections

Founded By

Source Camillo Golgi (Britannica)
Source Neuroscience (Wikipedia)

Has Scientist

Source Anirvan Ghosh (Wikipedia)
Source Arturo Álvarez-Buylla (Wikipedia)
Source Bert Sakmann (Wikipedia)
Source Charles Sherrington (Wikipedia)
Source David Ferrier (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: David H. Hubel
Source Edgar Adrian (Wikipedia)
Source Eric Kandel (Wikipedia)
Source Esther Odekunle (Wikipedia)
Source Haldan Keffer Hartline (Wikipedia)
Source Herbert Spencer Gasser (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Hugo J. Bellen
Source Ivan Pavlov (Wikipedia)
Source J. W. Kebabian (Wikipedia)
Source Jean-Pierre Changeux (Wikipedia)
Source John Eccles (neurophysiologist) (Wikipedia)
Source Joseph Erlanger (Wikipedia)
Source Karl Deisseroth (Wikipedia)
Source Leon Cooper (Wikipedia)
Source Linda B. Buck (Wikipedia)
Source Martin Chalfie (Wikipedia)
Source Paul Greengard (Wikipedia)
Source Peggy Assinck (Wikipedia)
Source Ragnar Granit (Wikipedia)
Source Richard Axel (Wikipedia)
Source Rita Levi-Montalcini (Wikipedia)
Source Roderick MacKinnon (Wikipedia)
Source Roger Guillemin (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Roger Wolcott Sperry
Source Santiago Ramón y Cajal (Wikipedia)
Source Solomon H. Snyder (Wikipedia)
Source Stanley B. Prusiner (Wikipedia)
Source Surya Ganguli (Wikipedia)
Source Torsten Wiesel - Wikipedia
Source Walter Rudolf Hess (Wikipedia)

Has Theory

Source Axial twist theory (Wikipedia)
Source The Neuron Doctrine: Santiago Ramon y Cajal and Camillo Golgi (Hektoen International)

Open Questions

Source Neuroscience (Wikipedia)

Studied By Institution

Source Aarhus University (Wikipedia)
Source City College of New York (Wikipedia)
Source New York University (Wikipedia)
Source University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Same As

Also in Medicine Atlas: the same subject.

Sources
1. An Important Step in Neuroscience: Camillo Golgi and His Discoveries (PMC)
PubMed Central, National Library of MedicineBiography section
Quote, Biography section
In 1872, Camillo Golgi became Chief of the Hospital of the Chronically Ill in Abbiategrasso, near Milan. This is where he invented, in 1873, the "Black Reaction".
View the Source
2. Neuroscience (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Lead section
    Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system, its functions, and its disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, developmental biology, cytology, psychology, physics, computer science, chemistry, medicine, statistics, and mathematical modeling to understand the fundamental and emergent properties of neurons, glia, and neural circuits.
  • Founded By: Santiago Ramon y Cajal
  • In Group: Mind and Behavior Sciences, Lead
    is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions, and its disorders
View the Source
Camillo Golgi (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia BritannicaView the Source
The Neuron Doctrine: Santiago Ramon y Cajal and Camillo Golgi (Hektoen International)
Hektoen International (Center for the History of Medicine), 2023Has Theory: Neuron DoctrineView the Source
Aarhus University (Wikipedia)
Studied By Institution: Aarhus University, Major research centres, MINDlab
Quote, Studied By Institution: Aarhus University, Major research centres, MINDlab
At MINDLab neuroscientists, psychologists, biologists, statisticians and researchers from other fields work together to understand the brain, its disorders, and its development through physical and social interactions
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New York University (Wikipedia)
Studied By Institution: New York University, Lead, neural science center
Quote, Studied By Institution: New York University, Lead, neural science center
Center for Neural Science, Clive Davis Institute
View the Source
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Wikipedia)
Studied By Institution: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Centers and institutes, Beckman Institute
Quote, Studied By Institution: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Centers and institutes, Beckman Institute
supports interdisciplinary collaborative research in the broad areas of intelligent systems, neuroscience, molecular science and engineering, and biomedical imaging.
View the Source
City College of New York (Wikipedia)
Studied By Institution: City College of New York, Academics or research, neuroscience
Quote, Studied By Institution: City College of New York, Academics or research, neuroscience
CCNY hosts a research center focusing on nanotechnology, structural biology, photonics, neuroscience and environmental sciences.
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Richard Axel (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Richard Axel, Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: Richard Axel, Lead, discipline
Axel's primary research interest is on how the brain interprets the sense of smell
View the Source
Edgar Adrian (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Edgar Adrian, Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: Edgar Adrian, Lead, discipline
for work on the function of neurons
View the Source
Joseph Erlanger (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Joseph Erlanger, Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: Joseph Erlanger, Lead, discipline
best known for his contributions to the field of neuroscience
View the Source
Herbert Spencer Gasser (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Herbert Spencer Gasser, Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: Herbert Spencer Gasser, Lead, discipline
for his work with action potentials in nerve fibers
View the Source
Walter Rudolf Hess (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Walter Rudolf Hess, Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: Walter Rudolf Hess, Lead, discipline
for mapping the areas of the brain involved in the control of internal organs
View the Source
John Eccles (neurophysiologist) (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: John Eccles (neurophysiologist), Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: John Eccles (neurophysiologist), Lead, discipline
was an Australian neurophysiologist and philosopher
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Eric Kandel (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Eric Kandel, Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: Eric Kandel, Lead, discipline
He was also a neuroscientist and a professor of biochemistry and biophysics
View the Source
Paul Greengard (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Paul Greengard, Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: Paul Greengard, Lead, discipline
was an American neuroscientist best known for his work on the molecular and cellular function of neurons
View the Source
Karl Deisseroth (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Karl Deisseroth, Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: Karl Deisseroth, Lead, discipline
to study normal neural circuit function and dysfunction in neurological and psychiatric illnesses
View the Source
Bert Sakmann (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Bert Sakmann, Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: Bert Sakmann, Lead, discipline
Since 2008 he leads an emeritus research group at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology
View the Source
Ragnar Granit (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Ragnar Granit, Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: Ragnar Granit, Lead, discipline
was a Finnish and Swedish neurophysiologist
View the Source
Haldan Keffer Hartline (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Haldan Keffer Hartline, Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: Haldan Keffer Hartline, Lead, discipline
for his work in analyzing the neurophysiological mechanisms of vision
View the Source
Linda B. Buck (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Linda B. Buck, Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: Linda B. Buck, Lead, discipline
is an American biologist best known for her work on the olfactory system
View the Source
Roger Guillemin (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Roger Guillemin, Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: Roger Guillemin, Lead, discipline
was a French-American neuroscientist
View the Source
Jean-Pierre Changeux (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Jean-Pierre Changeux, Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: Jean-Pierre Changeux, Lead, discipline
is a French neuroscientist known for his research in several fields of biology
View the Source
Solomon H. Snyder (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Solomon H. Snyder, Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: Solomon H. Snyder, Lead, discipline
is an American neuroscientist who has made wide-ranging contributions to neuropharmacology and neurochemistry
View the Source
David Ferrier (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: David Ferrier, Lead, discipline
Quote, Has Scientist: David Ferrier, Lead, discipline
was a pioneering Scottish neurologist and psychologist
View the Source
Wikipedia: Hugo J. Bellen
Has Scientist: Hugo J. Bellen, Infobox, fields
Quote, Has Scientist: Hugo J. Bellen, Infobox, fields
Infobox fields: Genetics, Developmental Biology, Neuroscience
View the Source
Esther Odekunle (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Esther Odekunle, Infobox, fields
Quote, Has Scientist: Esther Odekunle, Infobox, fields
Infobox fields: Neuroscience ; Molecular biology ; Pharmacology
View the Source
Leon Cooper (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Leon N. Cooper, Infobox, fields
Quote, Has Scientist: Leon N. Cooper, Infobox, fields
Infobox fields: Physics Neuroscience
View the Source
Ivan Pavlov (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Ivan Pavlov, Lead sentence
Quote, Has Scientist: Ivan Pavlov, Lead sentence
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (, ; 27 February 1936) was a Russian and Soviet experimental neurologist and physiologist known for his discovery of classical conditioning through his experiments with dogs.
View the Source
Stanley B. Prusiner (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Stanley B. Prusiner, Lead sentence
Quote, Has Scientist: Stanley B. Prusiner, Lead sentence
Stanley Ben Prusiner (born May 28, 1942) is an American neurologist and biochemist.
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Anirvan Ghosh (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Anirvan Ghosh, Lead sentence
Quote, Has Scientist: Anirvan Ghosh, Lead sentence
Anirvan Ghosh () is an American neuroscientist and biotech executive.
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Peggy Assinck (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Peggy Assinck, Lead sentence
Quote, Has Scientist: Peggy Assinck, Lead sentence
Peggy Assinck (born May 8, 1983) is a Canadian ice sledge hockey athlete and neuroscientist.
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Martin Chalfie (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Martin Chalfie, Infobox, fields
Quote, Has Scientist: Martin Chalfie, Infobox, fields
Infobox fields: Neurobiology
View the Source
Roderick MacKinnon (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Roderick MacKinnon, Lead sentence
Quote, Has Scientist: Roderick MacKinnon, Lead sentence
Roderick MacKinnon (born February 19, 1956) is an American biophysicist, neuroscientist, and businessman.
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Rita Levi-Montalcini (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Rita Levi-Montalcini, Lead sentence
Quote, Has Scientist: Rita Levi-Montalcini, Lead sentence
Rita Levi-Montalcini (born Rita Levi; 22 April 1909-30 December 2012) was an Italian neurobiologist.
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Charles Sherrington (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHas Scientist: Charles Sherrington, Lead sentence
Quote, Has Scientist: Charles Sherrington, Lead sentence
Sir Charles Scott Sherrington (27 November 1857-4 March 1952) was a British neurophysiologist and academic.
View the Source
Wikipedia: David H. Hubel
Has Scientist: David Hubel, Lead sentence
Quote, Has Scientist: David Hubel, Lead sentence
David Hunter Hubel (February 27, 1926, September 22, 2013) was an American Canadian neurophysiologist noted for his studies of the structure and function of the visual cortex.
View the Source
Torsten Wiesel - Wikipedia
Has Scientist: Torsten Wiesel, Lead sentence
Quote, Has Scientist: Torsten Wiesel, Lead sentence
Torsten Nils Wiesel (born 3 June 1924) is a Swedish neurophysiologist.
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Santiago Ramón y Cajal (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Santiago Ramon y Cajal, Lead
Quote, Has Scientist: Santiago Ramon y Cajal, Lead
was a Spanish neuroscientist
View the Source
Wikipedia: Roger Wolcott Sperry
Has Scientist: Roger Sperry, Lead
Quote, Has Scientist: Roger Sperry, Lead
was an American neuropsychologist, neurobiologist, cognitive neuroscientist
View the Source
Surya Ganguli (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Surya Ganguli, Infobox: field
Quote, Has Scientist: Surya Ganguli, Infobox: field
Theoretical Neuroscience Theoretical Physics
View the Source
Arturo Álvarez-Buylla (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: Arturo Álvarez-Buylla, Lead, sentence 1
Quote, Has Scientist: Arturo Álvarez-Buylla, Lead, sentence 1
Arturo Álvarez-Buylla Roces is a professor and endowed chair in neurological surgery, and a researcher in neurobiology at the University of California, San Francisco.
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J. W. Kebabian (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist: J. W. Kebabian, Lead, sentence 2
Quote, Has Scientist: J. W. Kebabian, Lead, sentence 2
John W. Kebabian was a neuropharmacologist and neuroscientist who was the first to discover that there were multiple subtypes of dopamine receptors.
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Axial twist theory (Wikipedia)
Has Theory: Axial twist theory, Lead, sentence 1
Quote, Has Theory: Axial twist theory, Lead, sentence 1
The axial twist theory (a.k.a. axial twist hypothesis) is a proposed scientific theory to explain the optic chiasm and contralateral brain of vertebrates.
View the Source
Open Questions (1 open question)
What is the biological basis of consciousness?

Neuroscientist and Nobel laureate Eric Kandel described understanding the biological basis of learning, memory, behavior, perception and consciousness as the epic challenge of the biological sciences. Decades of work mapping neurons and circuits have not yet produced an accepted account of how subjective experience arises from physical brain activity.

What would resolve this A theory of consciousness that makes testable predictions linking specific patterns of neural activity to the presence or absence of subjective experience, confirmed across independent experimental paradigms rather than argued from a single framework alone.
Cognitive and computational neuroscienceNeuroscience (Wikipedia)
Dissenting Readings (1 dissenting reading)
Founded By: Santiago Ramon y Cajal

Golgi shared the 1906 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Cajal but never accepted the neuron doctrine this founding edge credits Cajal for. In his own Nobel lecture, delivered 11 December 1906, Golgi restated and defended the reticular theory, that nerve fibers fuse into one continuous network rather than remaining separate, contact-connected cells, arguing the evidence Cajal and others read as showing discrete neurons did not settle the question. Carried here as the historical dispute it was: both men are credited as founders of the discipline their shared prize recognized, and neither theory is asserted here to be the one the other man actually held.

A dissenting reading, from Camillo GolgiCamillo Golgi, Nobel Lecture 1906: The Neuron Doctrine, Theory and Facts (NobelPrize.org)

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