Oliver Wolf Sacks
- Born:
- July 9, 1933, London, England
- Died:
- August 30, 2015, New York City, New York, USA
- Nationality:
- British, American
- Profession(s):
- Neurologist, Writer, Professor
Early Life and Education
- Born into a large Jewish family of doctors. His mother was a surgeon, and his father a general practitioner.
- Educated at St Paul's School in London.
- Studied medicine at The Queen's College, Oxford University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1954 and a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree in 1958.
- Moved to the United States in 1960 for his residency at Mount Zion Hospital in San Francisco, and later at UCLA.
Career and Major Achievements
- Began working at Beth Abraham Hospital (later renamed the Beth Abraham Health Services) in the Bronx, New York, in 1966. This marked a turning point in his career, as he began working with patients suffering from the after-effects of the 1920s encephalitis lethargica epidemic. This experience formed the basis of his most famous work.
- Served as a clinical professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
- Held positions at New York University School of Medicine.
- Known for his humanistic approach to neurology, focusing on the individual experiences of his patients.
- His work brought attention to various neurological conditions, including Tourette's syndrome, Parkinson's disease, and autism, and helped to de-stigmatize these conditions.
Notable Works
- Awakenings (1973): A seminal work detailing his experiences treating patients with L-DOPA, resulting in the reawakening of individuals who had been in a catatonic state for decades after suffering from encephalitis lethargica. This work provides insight into the complexities of dealing with the effects of post encephalitis syndrome dr sayer biography events depict.
- The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (1985): A collection of case studies exploring various neurological disorders and their impact on perception and identity.
- An Anthropologist on Mars (1995): Further exploration of neurological conditions, including autism and color blindness, through a series of case studies.
- Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain (2007): Examines the profound impact of music on the brain and neurological conditions.
- Hallucinations (2012): An exploration of the neurological and psychological basis of hallucinations.
- On the Move: A Life (2015): His autobiography.
Legacy and Impact
Oliver Sacks left a significant legacy in both the fields of neurology and literature. His work humanized neurological conditions, fostered empathy for patients, and increased public understanding of the complexities of the human brain. His writings influenced both medical professionals and the general public, promoting a more compassionate and nuanced view of neurological difference.