Lawrence Weiskrantz

From Psy3242

Biographical Overview

Lawrence Weiskrantz is a well-known neuropsychologist, whose most notable contribution stems from his work with individuals suffering from amnesia and blindsight (a condition he discovered) over the past few decades. The 'blindsight' phenomenon has remarkably helped to clarify or explain the role of the primary visual projection region of the cortex in visual ability after damage to this area has occurred. His landmark research, in which contemporary models of different memory systems were revealed, has been widely recognized by modern researchers and scientists.

He obtained his B.Sc. degree from Oxford University and then his PhD from Harvard University in 1953. Dr. Weiskrantz held a teaching position at Cambridge University in the late 1950s and after years of extensive lectures and research, he later worked at the Oxford University and was also appointed Director of the Department of Experimental Psychology from 1967 to 1993. He is currently Emeritus (retired, but still honorably retains his title) Professor in the psychology department at Oxford University. Additionally, Dr. Weiskrantz is Fellow of the Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, more commonly referred to as the Royal Society, as well as a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. In 1989, he delivered the Royal Society�s Ferrier Lecture. Dr. Weiskrantz is also a distinguished author and his wide-ranging knowledge and research experience has earned him numerous awards of unprecedented recognition. These awards and publications are summarized.

Awards

Craik Prize from Cambridge

Hughlings Jackson Medal from the Royal Society of Medicine

William James Fellowship of the American Psychological Society, 1992

Publications

Analysis of Behavioral Change, 1967

Inroad and Detours in Psychology, 1970

Associated Humane Societies Directory, 1980

The Neuropsychology of Cognitive Function, 1982

Animal Intelligence, 1985

Blindsight: A Case Study and Implications, 1986 Thought Without Language, 1988

Consciousness Lost and Found: A Neuropsychological Foundation, 1997

Percepts, brain imaging, and the certainty principle: A triangular approach to the scientific basis of consciousness (Herbert H. Reynold�s lectureship in the history and philosophy of science), 1999

Co-Author Publications

The Neuropsychology of Cognitive Function: proceedings of a Royal Society, 1982

Attention: Selection, Awareness, and Control: A Tribute to Donald Broadbent, 1993

The Prefrontal Cortex: Executive and Cognitive Functions, 1998

Frontiers of Consciousness, 2008

References

Association for Psychological Science, William James Fellow Award 1992. (n.d.). Retrieved April 23, 2008, from http://www.psychologicalscience.org/awards/ james/citations/weiskrantz.cfm

Baylor University, The Herbert Reynolds Lecture Series (1999). Lawrence weiskrantz. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://www.baylor.edu/reynold_lecture_series/ index.php?id=38921

Stanford University, The Stanford Humanities Center (1997, October). The harry camp memorial lectures. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://shc.stanford.edu/shc/ 1997-1998/events/weiskrantz.html