Thompson Lecture

The Mind of Leonardo da Vinci
October 6 @ 6:00p
Jonathan Pevsner
Associate Professor, Kennedy Krieger Institute
FIA Theater

Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) was one of the most fascinating individuals in history. He is the creator of what are arguably the world’s two most famous paintings: the Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. He was also a brilliant engineer and scientist. As an engineer, he invented hundreds of devices (from ball bearings to a steam cannon), and as a scientist he made dozens of original discoveries in fields as diverse as chemistry, botany, and geology. As part of his anatomical studies, he injected hot wax into an ox brain to demonstrate the shape of the ventricles. Leonardo pursued detailed investigations into brain anatomy and physiology with the goal of providing mechanistic explanations of how the brain interprets sensory input and how the brain (and soul) processes and interprets that information. Pevsner will explore Leonardo’s remarkable life to help us understand the nature of his creativity and his integrative approach to the arts and sciences.

Dr. Jonathan Pevsner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and in the Department of Neuroscience in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Haverford College, his Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and he received postdoctoral training at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Pevsner’s laboratory studies the molecular basis of childhood neurological disorders, including autism. He is the recipient of multiple teaching awards, including the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Professor’s Award for Distinction in the Basic Sciences (2003) and Teacher of the Year (2001, 2006 and 2009). He wrote a textbook, Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics. Dr. Pevsner harbors a passionate interest in the work of Leonardo. His personal collection includes some 700 books on him, he has written and lectured extensively, and has recently served as a Leonardo expert on a Discovery Channel television show.

FIA Members only event.

Rubens Society Member’s Dinner
The Rubens Society member’s dinner follows the Thompson Lecture with Jonathan Pevsner, Associate Professor, Kennedy Krieger Institute, as the guest of honor. Look for your invitation to the Rubens Society Dinner soon.

The Thompson Lecture was established in 1991 by Dr. and Mrs. Jack W. Thompson to enable the Flint Institute of Arts to present a distinguished speaker in the arts or humanities each year. The Thompson lecture is one of the Institute’s few members-only events and was established, in part, to attract new members to the FIA.