Rafael Lorente de Nó
Rafael Lorente de No (April 8, 1902 — April 2, 1990) was an American 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 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 Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis.[1] In 1936 he joined the Rockefeller University also known as the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research.[1] Lorente was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1950.[1]
Awards and Distinctions
- Member of the American Physiological Society[2]
- Member of the American Association of Anatomists[2]
- Member of the National Academy of Sciences[2]
- Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences[2]
- Honorary degrees by the University of Uppsala, Clark University, and Rockefeller University[2]
- The Karl Spencer Lushly Award from the American Philosophical Society in 1959[2]
- The Award of Merit in 1986
Notable research and discoveries
- Seminal research of the structure and function of the cerebral cortex.
- Studies of the relationship between the nervous system the electrical and chemical basis of nerve functions
- Experiments that showed that nerve transmit electrical nerve impulses