Santiago Ramón y Cajal has been one of the greatests neurobiologists of all times. Cajal improved the Golgi method to stain neurons and described the microscopical structure of almost every part of the nervous system. His book “Histology” (1909, 1911) is still a reference book in all neuroscience laboratoires. Cajal also refuted the reticular theory, commonly accepted at his time, and stated that neurons are separated cells.

Cajal was born in Petilla de Aragón (Spain) on March 1, 1852. He studied medicine in Zaragoza and worked in València, Barcelona and Madrid, where he died on 1934.

Cajal won some of the most important scientific prizes of his time:

• Fauvelle prize of the Society of Biology of Paris (1896).
• Moscow prize, established by the congress of Moscow to reward medical works wich have rendered the greatest services to science and humanity (1900).
• Helmholtz medal of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Berlin (1905).
• Nobel prize of medicine and physiology, shared with Camillo Golgi (1906).

This Cajal picture has been made by Sergi Quiñones Oliva (Othello).

More information:

• Nobel e-Museum. Biography.
• Nobel e-Museum. Life and discoveries.
• Instituto Cajal, CSIC.