Oliver Sacks Foundation

Oliver Sacks Foundation Celebrating the work of Dr. Oliver Sacks: neurologist and author of Awakenings, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Musicophilia & more.

Ric Burns's documentary 'Oliver Sacks: His Own Life' is available in the U.S from 9/23 via www.OliverSacksDoc.com The Oliver Sacks Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to honor and continue the work of Dr. Oliver Sacks. The Foundation is dedicated to increasing understanding of the human brain and mind through the power of narrative nonfiction and working to reduce the stigma of mental a

nd neurological illness. The foundation’s goals include making Dr. Sacks’s published and yet-unpublished writings available to the broadest possible audience, preserving and digitizing materials related to his life and work and making them available for scholarly use, and supporting a humane approach to neurology and psychiatry. If you would like to make a contribution to the Oliver Sacks Foundation, please visit our website:

https://www.oliversacks.com/oliver-sacks-foundation/

We welcome contributions of any amount, and we deeply appreciate your support. We love hearing from you! Thank you for being a part of the world of Oliver Sacks.

05/26/2026

When will "Brilliant Minds" Season 2 return? Find out when you can start watching new episodes of the medical drama, starring Zachary Quinto, in 2026, here.

05/25/2026

Don't miss the final six episodes and season finale of Brilliant Minds season 2, the medical drama inspired by the life and work of Oliver Sacks, starting this Wednesday 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock.

We were sad to hear that the show won't be renewing for a third season but are grateful to the show runner Michael Grassi, Zachary Quinto and the whole cast and crew of Bronx General Hospital for bringing these characters and medical tales to life. Bravo!

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat has been published in many editions around the world since its iconic first U.S. ...
05/15/2026

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat has been published in many editions around the world since its iconic first U.S. edition in 1985, shown here next to the advance uncorrected proof that was Oliver Sacks’ personal copy. A new version of the Taiwanese translation from is coming out soon - swipe to see the stunning new cover, which features a replica of Oliver’s signature.

05/08/2026

Happy 100th birthday David Attenborough! Oliver Sacks loved watching David Attenborough’s nature documentaries. Toward the end of his life it was one of his favorite things to do - a source of wonder and inspiration in his final days.

This clip of David Attenborough playing with baby gorillas reminded us of a video of Oliver visiting orangutans at the zoo. Curious minds, finding connection and awe in the natural world.

Attenborough clips courtesy BBC
Sacks clips courtesy Steeplechase Films

In Everything In Its Place, Oliver Sacks wrote: "I cannot say exactly how nature exerts its calming and organizing effec...
04/26/2026

In Everything In Its Place, Oliver Sacks wrote: "I cannot say exactly how nature exerts its calming and organizing effects on our brains, but I have seen in my patients the restorative and healing powers of nature and gardens, even for those who are deeply disabled neurologically. In many cases, gardens and nature are more powerful than any medication."

Comment below with a picture of your favorite plant or garden, we'd love to see it. (Photo by Bill Hayes)

Dr. Rachel Zoffness brings much needed clarity and compassion to her examination of pain and how to treat it. In her lat...
04/24/2026

Dr. Rachel Zoffness brings much needed clarity and compassion to her examination of pain and how to treat it. In her latest book, Tell Me Where It Hurts, she writes, "We’ve been told that pain is purely physical, something to do just with bones and body parts. The truth is that pain is constructed by the brain—influenced not just by injuries, but also by emotions, expectations, and environment. This means you have infinitely more control over pain than you ever imagined: because if the brain can change, pain can change. Learn more: https://www.zoffness.com/books/tmwihs

📷 Kate Edgar and Rachel Zoffness

We are delighted to share that Brilliant Minds will make its triumphant return on Wednesday, May 27, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC...
04/13/2026

We are delighted to share that Brilliant Minds will make its triumphant return on Wednesday, May 27, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. New episodes will continue to air in that timeslot for the final six episodes of season two, and will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.

When will "Brilliant Minds" Season 2 return? Find out when you can start watching new episodes of the medical drama, starring Zachary Quinto, in 2026, here.

In memory of Judith L. Rapoport, best-selling author on OCD and head of child psychiatry at the National Institute of Me...
04/09/2026

In memory of Judith L. Rapoport, best-selling author on OCD and head of child psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health.

Oliver much admired her professionally and enjoyed their friendship. Her research and study led to the best-selling 1989 book, The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Washing, modelled after HAT by Oliver Sacks.

Remembering 2 child and adolescent psychiatrists...

"The American Scholar" magazine is running an essay by Bill Hayes, "Thinking in the Margins: What Oliver Sacks Jotted Do...
03/19/2026

"The American Scholar" magazine is running an essay by Bill Hayes, "Thinking in the Margins: What Oliver Sacks Jotted Down in the Books He Read," on finding + interpreting Oliver's amazingly prolific annotated books in its spring issue, both in print and online.

He notes in the essay, to his delight, that the New York Public Library recently acquired 500 of the annotated books as a complement to their extensive Oliver Sacks Archive.

Normally behind a paywall - free to read today here: https://theamericanscholar.org/thinking-in-the-margins/

02/26/2026

Oliver Sacks plays piano and talks about how it feels to return to Beth Abraham, the chronic-care hospital where Sacks worked in the mid-1960s as a young neurologist and where the events of his book Awakenings took place.

This clip is from Oliver Sacks: His Own Life, an intimate and deeply moving film that explores the life and legacy of the legendary neurologist who transformed how we understand the mind, identity, and what it means to be human.

The New York Academy of Sciences, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, and West End Labs are thrilled to host a free screening of the Steeplechase Films documentary on March 3, 2026 from 5:45 - 8:35 PM.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with director Ric Burns and renowned psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Elissa Epel.

Register now: https://events.nyas.org/event/oliversacks26/summary?utm_source=nyas&utm_medium=partner_referral&utm_campaign=oliversacks26

Presented by The New York Academy of Scienes in partnership with HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and West End Labs.

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225 W 83rd Street, #12A
New York, NY
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