Golden Brain Award


The Golden Brain Award is an international science award in the field of neuroscience. It is given by the Berkeley-based Minerva Foundation every year since 1985. The foundation specifically aims at fundamental contributions to research in vision and the brain. The Golden Brain is a trophy of a gold-plated model of the human brain attached to a bronze base.

Selection

The Golden Brain Award is open to any person who has made innovative investigations and the resulting influence of those findings on the field of vision and the brain. Preference is given to studies involving higher brain function such as the aspects of behaviour, thought, attention, decision making and rational insight, and cognitive visual system. Special attributes are also considered such as a lack of deserved recognition, which is common in young scientists, and the potential for future important scientific revelations. Formal nominations are made by previous recipients, and final decision is made by the selection board.

Trophy

The Golden Brain is a model of human brain, and the name is given as it is coloured with gold. It was originally designed and crafted by Tamia Marg. The brain is a pedestal of ten inches high, held by a spinal cord-like stem which is fixed to a metal base. It is primarily made of bronze which is coated with a 23-carat gold plating at Monsen Plating in Berkeley. The flat base painted by spraying it with an acidic mixture to give it the bluish-green patina. The brain and base were fastened together, and a polished brass circle engraved with the awardee's name is mounted on the trophy. The wooden box for the trophy is made by a furniture maker, Lawrence Gandsey of Oakland. The box is of eastern maple grown in the Appalachians and is held together with splines of mahogany from Honduras, and is finished with a mixture of linseed oil and turpentine.

Recipients

Source:
YearRecipientInstituteCountry
1985Semir ZekiUniversity College LondonUnited Kingdom
1986Gian F. PoggioThe Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, BaltimoreUnited States
1987David SparksBaylor College of Medicine, Houston, TexasUS
1988Denis BaylorStanford University, StanfordUS
1989Jeremy NathansThe Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, BaltimoreUS
1990John M. AllmanCalifornia Institute of Technology, PasadenaUS
1991Robert H. WurtzNational Eye Institute, Bethesda, MarylandUS
1992William T. NewsomeStanford University, StanfordUS
1993Rudiger von der HeydtJohns Hopkins School of Medicine, BaltimoreUS
1994Robert DesimoneNational Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MarylandUS
1995Antonio R. DamasioUniversity of Iowa, Iowa CityUS
1996Anne TreismanPrinceton University, New JerseyUS
1997Claudio GallettiUniversity of BolognaItaly
1998Heinz WassleMax Planck Institute for Brain Research, FrankfurtGermany
1999Nikos LogothetisMax-Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, TübingenGermany
2000Frederick MilesNational Eye Institute, Bethesda, MarylandUS
2001David PerrettUniversity of St. AndrewsScotland, UK
2002Wolfram SchultzUniversity of CambridgeUK
2003Karl FristonUniversity College LondonUK
2004Atsushi IrikiTokyo Medical and Dental UniversityJapan
2005Markus MeisterHarvard University, CambridgeUS
2006Raymond Joseph DolanUniversity College, LondonUK
2007Nancy KanwisherMassachusetts Institute of Technology, CambridgeUS
2008Larry YoungEmory University, GeorgiaUS
2009Karl DeisserothStanford University, StanfordUS
2010Daniel WolpertUniversity of CambridgeUK
2011Leslie UngerleiderNational Institute of Mental HealthUS
2012Michael ShadlenColumbia University, New York CityUS
2013Joseph Anthony MovshonNew York UniversityUS
2014Doris TsaoCalifornia Institute of TechnologyUS
2015Okihide HikosakaNational Eye InstituteUS
2016Eero SimoncelliNew York University, New York, New YorkUS
2017Ken NakayamaHarvard UniversityUS
2018Winrich FreiwaldRockefeller UniversityUS