Javier de Felipe facts for kids

Javier de Felipe Oroquieta (born in 1953 in Madrid, Spain) is a scientist who studies biology. He is known for his work on the human brain and how it is built.

Studying the Brain

Javier de Felipe studied Biology at the Complutense University of Madrid. He finished his first degree in 1975 and earned his PhD in 1979. After that, he spent time at the Cajal Institute in Spain. He also worked in the United States at places like Washington University School of Medicine. From 1989 to 1991, he was a visiting scientist at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine.

Since 1991, he has been a research professor at the Cajal Institute. This institute is part of the Higher Council for Scientific Research. He also leads the Cajal Laboratory of Cortical Circuits. This lab is at the Center for Biomedical Technology in Madrid.

Researching Brain Changes

When De Felipe returned to the Cajal Institute in 1991, he started a team. They looked at how the brain's outer layer, called the cerebral cortex, changes in people with epilepsy. Epilepsy is a condition that causes seizures.

In 1997, he joined a NASA project called Neurolab. This project studied how space travel affects the brain's tiny circuits. Since 2006, he has been researching Alzheimer's disease. He studies how this disease changes the structure of the cerebral cortex.

Big Brain Projects

Javier de Felipe has been a part of the Blue Brain Project since it started in 2005. This project, led by Professor Henry Markram, aims to create a computer model of the brain. Spain is involved in this project through the Cajal Blue Brain project, which De Felipe leads.

The Blue Brain Project helped start an even bigger international effort. This is called the Human Brain Project, led by the European Commission. It began in October 2013 and involves scientists worldwide. De Felipe is a co-director of the Molecular and Cellular neuroscience division in this project. He works alongside Professor Seth Grant.

Awards and Recognitions

Javier de Felipe has received several important awards for his work.

• In 1999, he received the Krieg Cortical Kudos Award from the Cajal Club in the United States. This award was for his research on the cerebral cortex.
• In 2005, he received the Chair Santiago Ramón y Cajal award from the Academy of Sciences of Mexico.
• In 2013, he was made an Honorary Member of the American Association for Anatomy. This was for his important research in anatomical sciences.

Books He Has Written

• 2009 Cajal's Butterflies of the Soul: Science and Art. ISBN: 978-0195392708.
• 2014 The Garden of Neurology: about beauty, art and the brain. ISBN: 9788434021563.
• 2017 Cajal's Neuronal Forest: Science and Art. ISBN: 978-0190842833.
• 2022 From Laetoli to the Moon. The unusual journey of the human brain. ISBN: 978-84-9199-426-8.

See also

In Spanish: Javier de Felipe para niños

• Blue Brain Project
• Henry Markram
• Seth Grant