Barbara Lipska was born in Poland. She studied in Warsaw where she got her Ph.D. in medical sciences in 1988. The next year she emigrated to the United States and got a job at NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) in Maryland. She specifically studied schizophrenia and did post mortem human brain research. In 2015 while preparing for a ski trip she noticed her couldn't see her left hand. She knew something was wrong with her brain and since she recovered from melanoma cancer, she feared the cancer has spread to her brain. Her fears were correct and she ended up with multiple tumors in her brain. She was treated with surgery, radiation, immunotherapy and medications. During her treatment her brain swelled and her behavior drastically changed. Usually kind and courteous she became angry and paranoid and angry. Always a great cook, she couldn't find her kitchen utensils and accused her family of moving things around. She was not aware of the personality changes. The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind is her memoir of all that she has gone through. I thought her story was very interesting. She showed strength and courage and was lucky enough to know the very best doctors and was able to afford the very best treatment.
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