Author: Jenna Windhorst
Patrica Goldman Rakic was a groundbreaking neuroscientist. She helped widen the understanding of brain conditions including Alzheimer’s, Cerebral Palsy, Parkinson’s, and schizophrenia.
Goldman-Rakic received a PhD from UCLA. She mapped the region of the frontal context and was able to gain insight into its important functions. She was the first to describe the order of the frontal cortex and its high-level functioning, even when previous scientists regarded it as inaccessible information. She took a unique approach studying the frontal cortex through the use of anatomy, biochemistry, and pharmacology. As a professor at Yale University, she held numerous positions in Neurobiology, psychiatry, neurology, and psychology.
Throughout her entire career, she was able to publish over 200 research papers. She achieved multiple honors including admission to the National Academy of Sciences. Paul Greengard a Nobel Laureate in Physiology and Medicine even said she enhanced the “quality of multidisciplinary brain research” to a level beyond possibility.
Goldman-Rakic’s studies left a mark on the medical field. She gave insight to the brain, changing our preconceived perceptions of its functions. She was a remarkable contribution to women in medicine and extremely dedicated to her work. Her insights forever changed our perception of the mind and brain, as she continues to be an influential figure in medical history even after her death.
Sources:
https://www.nature.com/articles/1300325
https://www.cwhf.org/inductees/patricia-goldman-rakic
http://vcencyclopedia.vassar.edu/alumni/patricia-goldman-rakic.html