Louis B. Flexner | |
---|---|
Born | Louis Barkhouse Flexner January 7, 1902 Louisville, Kentucky |
Died | March 29, 1996 | (aged 94)
Education |
University of Chicago (
BS) Johns Hopkins University ( MD) |
Known for | Proving that the brain synthesizes proteins rapidly |
Spouse | Josefa Barba |
Parent(s) | Ida Barkhouse and Washington Flexner [1] |
Relatives | Simon Flexner, Abraham Flexner (uncles) [1] |
Awards | National Academy of Sciences |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Biochemistry of memory |
Institutions |
University of Pennsylvania Johns Hopkins University |
Louis Barkhouse Flexner (January 7, 1902 – March 29, 1996) was an American biochemist, a researcher into the biochemistry of memory. [2] [1] Flexner proved, among other things, that the brain synthesized proteins at a much faster rate than had been widely held before him. He also established a link between protein synthesis and the brain's functions of learning and memory. [2] Flexner was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, [1] the founding director of the Institute of Neurological Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, [2] chair of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania, [1] a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences [2] and a member of the American Philosophical Society. [2] The National Academies Press called him "a major scientific figure". [1]
Flexner graduated from the University of Chicago with a B.S. degree in 1923 and from Johns Hopkins University with a M.D. degree in 1927. [1]