Nerve cells drawn by Santiago Ramon y Cajal (1852-1934). Santiago Ramon y Cajal was a Spanish pathologist, histologist, neuroscientist, and Nobel laureate (1906). His original pioneering investigations of the microscopic structure of the brain have led to his being designated by many as the father of modern neuroscience. His medical artistry was legendary, and hundreds of his drawings illustrating the delicate arborizations of brain cells are still in use for educational and training purposes.