John E. O’Keefe

John E. O'Keefe is an acclaimed American neuroscientist known for his research on the brain's navigation system. In 1971, he discovered "place cells" in the hippocampus, which are neurons that become active when an animal is in a specific location, effectively helping it navigate. His work has significantly advanced our understanding of spatial memory and cognition. In 2014, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, sharing it with two other scientists for their contributions to understanding how the brain maps physical space, which has implications for issues like Alzheimer's disease and other memory disorders.