Medical historian Frank W. Stahnisch recognized by Royal Society of Canada

"We are very proud of this recognition for Professor Stahnisch. His work on the history of neuroscience research is widely regarded within Canada. The recognition by the Royal Society of Canada for a career of study in this field is very well deserved," says Dr. Todd Anderson, vice-dean, Cumming School of Medicine (CSM). Published in 2020 by McGill-Queen's University Press, Stahnisch's book A New Field in Mind - A History of Interdisciplinarity in the Early Brain Sciences documents and analyzes the origins of the modern neurosciences as an interdisciplinary field from the late 19th century to the postwar period. "I am very grateful that my book has been chosen as an important publication in the history of medicine to be awarded with this medal," says Stahnisch, a historian of medicine and health care who immigrated to Canada 15 years ago. "This is not only because of the decade-long strenuous and demanding historical research which eventually got integrated into this monograph, but because it can also emphasize awareness for the extended paths of research and educational initiatives which led, since the 19th century, to the creation of the modern field of neuroscience." The book draws on archival research from both sides of the Atlantic, ranging from Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom to Canada and the United States - crucial countries where the neurosciences developed into innovative research communities.