1992 William James Fellow Award

Lawrence Weiskrantz

University of Oxford

Lawrence Weiskrantz’s incisive experimental work with monkeys and people coupled with his creative theoretical thinking, carried out over nearly four decades, has profoundly influenced the field of cognitive neuroscience. His studies of brain-injured patients have yielded dramatic results that have materially altered contemporary views of different memory systems. He is one of the few scientists who have conducted landmark research on the neurobiology of both visual perception and memory in monkeys and people. His discovery of the ‘blind sight’ phenomenon has elucidated the extent of visual abilities that remain after loss of the primary visual projection area of the cortex.

For his inspired and imaginative leadership in the exploration of the intricate relation between the brain and the mind in memory, perception, and thought, he is recognized as a leader in psychological science.