Johann Ludwig Wilhelm Thudichum

From 1847 he studied medicine at the University of Giessen, where he worked after hours in the laboratory of Justus von Liebig (1803–1873).

In his research, he isolated and characterized numerous compounds of the brain, such as cephalin, sphingomyelin, galactose, lactic acid and sphingosine.

In 1884 he explained his findings in a publication titled "A Treatise on the Chemical Constitution of the Brain", a book that was widely criticized and rejected at the time by many in the scientific community.

After his death, Thudichum's discoveries were realized to be important scientific contributions to the study of the chemical and molecular composition of the brain.

[1] Since 1974 the "Thudichum Medal Lecture" is awarded in England for outstanding achievements in the field of neurochemistry, and at Yale University, the "Thudichum Post–Doctoral Research Fellowship in Neuro-oncology" was founded within the fields of cell biology, neurochemistry and adult stem cell research to support the study of brain tumors.