Charles Gordon Gross (February 29, 1936 – April 13, 2019) was an American professor of psychology and a neuroscientist and a leading figure in the emerging field of cognitive neuroscience.
[2] Gross made many important discoveries in his career, including the finding that neurons in the inferior temporal cortex (ITC) are selectively activated by complex objects and the discovery of "face cells," neurons that are specifically activated by the sight of faces.
[3] Gross's work on the ITC and face perception was groundbreaking and helped to establish the field of neuroscience.
[2] He was recognized for his contributions with numerous awards and honors, including being named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Subsequently he was married to art historian Greta Berman from 1988–2000; and to writer Joyce Carol Oates from 2009 until his death in 2019.