Save the Cajal and school legacies

The newly formed Cajal Legacy Group is seeking your support to have the work of Ramon y Cajal and his school of talented protégées World Heritage Listed by UNESCO.

Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934) is unquestionably the founder of modern neuroscience and a genius in the field of biology. Cajal was the first person to describe the cellular structure of the brain and to link these networks of cells with the functioning of the mind.

Although Cajal was awarded the Nobel Prize more than 100 years ago (1906) his work continues to captivate, inspire and inform modern neuroscientists. His long lasting legacy and influence is enriched by a vast collection of exquisite drawings of brain cells and the connections they make within the nervous system.  These drawings provided the first glimpse into the very essence of our humanity. In much the same way that people marvel at Leonardo da Vinci’s helicopter design conceived centuries ahead of its time, Cajal’s drawings continue to amaze neuroscientists with both their beauty and scientific insight. This can be illustrated by comparing  Cajal’s image of a purkinje neuron, obtained using rudimentary histological and microscopy methods, with an image taken in 2011 using a modern confocal microscope and fluorescent dye.