It was renamed in 2000, in recognition of the $10 million bequest from tennis champion and Berkeley alumna Helen Wills, who won 31 Grand Slam titles, including 19 in singles.
[1][2] The Berkeley Neuroscience Center (BNC) was created in 1997 under the leadership of Professors Carla Shatz and Corey Goodman, who served as the first two Directors from 1997–2001.
Neuroscience professors in departments across campus were invited to recruit new core faculty and accept graduate students into their labs for training.
A $10 million bequest from Olympic gold medalist and 8-time Wimbledon champion Helen Wills Moody endowed the graduate program and provided cash support to grow the Center.
The Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute currently houses four research centers each with a unique focus on elucidating the functions of the brain.