“she revolutionized the field of neuropsychology, combining neurology and psychology, and is considered one of the most important neuroscientists of the 20th century,” latimer said.
dr. lesley fellows, dean of the faculty of medicine and health sciences at mcgill, who is a neuroscientist herself and a former colleague of milner, said the neuro staff celebrate milner’s birthday every year, because she is so respected and such an inspiration.
brenda milner in 2002 in front of a portrait of dr. wilder penfield. she worked with the famous neurosurgeon the neuro
john kenney
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gazette
“it’s very nice to see a scientist, of course a woman scientist, and someone who has been inspiring for many, and certainly for me,” recognized with a star on canada’s walk of fame, fellows said. “the word neuroscience … wasn’t really a word when brenda started. it wasn’t how we talked about the field. in those days, people were not convinced we would be able to understand the biological mechanisms of thought in the human brain.”
she said milner’s work and the research it inspired around the world “shows that we absolutely can understand the biological basis of thought and we can understand the basis of disease and we can make a real difference in the lives of patients.”
she added that milner has always had a “radical confidence and curiosity to be willing to take methods to the human brain and figure out how this thing works.”