Nerve structure of the retina (various types of nerve structures are depicted) illustrated by Cajal. Santiago Ram籀n y Cajal (1852-1934) was a Spanish pathologist, histologist, neuroscientist, and Nobel laureate (1906). His pioneering investigations of the microscopic structure of the brain were original: he is considered by many to be the father of modern neuroscience. He was skilled at drawing, and hundreds of his illustrations of brain cells are still used for educational purposes today.