Oliver Sacks

Neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks, CBE, explored the impact of rare and unusual physical conditions on individuals, from colorblindness to hallucinations, over the course of a celebrated four-decade career. Sacks' scientific writing eschewed the clinical, statistic-based quality of many medical books in favor of compassionate, deeply involved writing about the human element of diseases and rare maladies: how they impacted, and in some cases, improved the person's way of life. Sacks' humanistic approach made him a best-selling author with general audiences, and led to a number of popular adaptations in the media, including the feature film "Awakenings" (1990), as well as countless laurels from medical and educational institutions. Sacks' contributions to medical writing and understanding of the mysteries of brain function made him one of the most popular scientific figures in the world, a status he maintained until his death from cancer on August 29, 2015.