Rafael Lorente de Nó
Rafael Lorente de Nó (April 8, 1902 – April 2, 1990) was an Spanish neuroscientist who advanced our understanding of the nervous system with his seminal research. [1] [2] [3] He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences.[1][2] The National Academies Press called him "one of the premier neurophysiologists in the United States".[2]
Life and career
Lorente de Nó was born in Zaragoza, Spain. He received his medical degree from the University of Madrid in 1923.[2] He immigrated to the United States in 1931 when he accepted a position at the Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis.[1] In 1936 he joined the Rockefeller University, then still better known as the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research.[1] Lorente de Nó was an active member of several academic societies, among them the American Physiological Society and the American Association of Anatomists.[2]
Awards and Distinctions
Lorente de Nó was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1950, and later also to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[1] He received honorary degrees from several universities, among them Clark University, Atlanta, and his home university, Rockefeller University, but also from University of Uppsala, Sweden.[2] His contributions to neuroscience were honored by the American Philosophical Society through the Karl Spencer Lashley Award in 1959; he was the first to receive this award.[4] In 1986, he received the Award of Merit for his life's work.
Notable research and discoveries
- Seminal research of the structure and function of the cerebral cortex.[5] Of these discoveries, the introduction of the current terminology of the subfields of the cornu Ammonis of the hippocampus (CA1-4)[6] might be the most noteworthy.
- Studies of the relationship between the nervous system the electrical and chemical basis of nerve functions[1]
- Experiments that showed that nerves transmit electrical nerve impulses[7]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rafael Lorente de No Dies of Cancer at 87; A Neural Researcher: April 06, 1990
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 National Academies Press:Rafael Lorente De No, By Thomas A. Woolsey
- ↑ Kruger, Lawrence; Woolsey, Thomas A. "Rafael Lorente de Nó : 1902–1990". The Journal of Comparative Neurology. doi:10.1002/cne.903000102.
- ↑ List of award recipients at the APS website; retrieved August 4, 2013
- ↑ Rodríguez, J. J.; et al. "RAFAEL LORENTE de NÓ (1902-1990): THE PIONEER OF PHYSIOLOGYCAL NEUROANATOMY." (PDF). Federation of European Physiological Scientists.
- ↑ Lorente de Nó, Rafael (1934). "Studies on the structure of the cerebral cortex. II. Continuation of the study of the ammonic system". J Psychol Neurol. 46: 113–177.
- ↑ Lorente de Nó, Rafael (1939). "Transmission of Impulses through Cranial Motor Nuclei". Journal of Neurophysiology. 2: 402–464.