February 10, 1988

Patricia Goldman-Rakic ’59, professor of neuroscience at Yale University Medical School, delivered the Matthew Vassar Lecture on “Psychobiological Studies in Nonhuman Primates: An Unplanned Odyssey.” A prominent researcher, Goldman-Rakic was responsible for mapping the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain used in complex planning and controlling social behavior. The authors of Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of the Mind explained this accomplishment: “At a time when most neurobiologists were examining the visual system in detail, [she] dove into the most complex cortical zone in the brain.”

Michael S. Gazzaniga, et al, Cognitive Neuroscience: The Biology of the Mind

Dr. Goldman-Rakic’s lecture was followed by a panel discussion on career options for students concentrating in biopsychology.