Antonio R. Damasio (Lisbon, Portugal, 1944) is professor of Neurologie, Neurosciences and Psychologie. He is the director of the Institute for the neurological study of the emotion and the creativity of the the University of California of the South (University off Southern California) since 2005, after having been the director of the department of neurology of the Université of Iowa during 18 years. He is also assistant professor with Salk Institute of studies of La Jolla and writer.

Neuroscientifique of reputation, its work concerns the study of the neuronal bases of cognition and the behavior. Among his principal discoveries, one will note:

• the description of activations of the cortical and subcortical ways in the recognition of the faces and the objects;
• identification of neuronal sites implied in the process of the emotions;
• the demonstration which the emotions are implied in decision making;
• identification of limbic areas and the cerebral trunk suspectées to play a part in the disease of Alzheimer.

It took part in the conferences of the Mind and Life Institute, the purpose of which is to promote a dialog between science and Buddhism.