Medical Pioneer. A native of Spokane, Washington, he was one of Canada's greatest doctors. Known as 'the greatest living Canadian' during his lifetime, Penfield was educated at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, Oxford University in Oxford, England, and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Maryland. Penfield was known mainly for his work involving patients with severe epilepsy, where he would on purpose destroy nerve cells in the brain in hopes of trying to find out where the seizures originated. Penfield would stimulate the brain with electrical probes while the patients were still awake and then would observe the patients responses. While doing this Penfield also created maps of the sensory and motor cortices of the brain showing there connections to the limbs and organs of the body, some of which are still used today. In 1928 Penfield moved to Montreal, Quebec, where he became the city's first neurosurgeon, and also taught at McGill University. In 1934 Penfield became director of the University's Montreal Neurological Institute and the Montreal Neurological Hospital. Penfield retired from the University in 1960. Dr. Penfield died in April 1976 at the age of 85. In 1967 he was made a member of the Order of Canada, and in 1994 he was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.
Medical Pioneer. A native of Spokane, Washington, he was one of Canada's greatest doctors. Known as 'the greatest living Canadian' during his lifetime, Penfield was educated at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, Oxford University in Oxford, England, and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Maryland. Penfield was known mainly for his work involving patients with severe epilepsy, where he would on purpose destroy nerve cells in the brain in hopes of trying to find out where the seizures originated. Penfield would stimulate the brain with electrical probes while the patients were still awake and then would observe the patients responses. While doing this Penfield also created maps of the sensory and motor cortices of the brain showing there connections to the limbs and organs of the body, some of which are still used today. In 1928 Penfield moved to Montreal, Quebec, where he became the city's first neurosurgeon, and also taught at McGill University. In 1934 Penfield became director of the University's Montreal Neurological Institute and the Montreal Neurological Hospital. Penfield retired from the University in 1960. Dr. Penfield died in April 1976 at the age of 85. In 1967 he was made a member of the Order of Canada, and in 1994 he was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.
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