Get to Know
Brenda Milner
Discover why we turned Brenda into a superhero
WHO IS BRENDA MILNER?
Occupation: Neuropsychologist
Born: 1918
Nationality: British-Canadian
Brenda Milner was born in Manchester, England and later worked as a research psychologist in Canada, where she conducted groundbreaking research on the neural basis of memory and cognition.
One of Brenda's most famous patients was Henry Molaison, who is known as "Patient H.M." Henry had undergone surgery to remove the hippocampus and amygdala from his brain. After the surgery, he lost the ability to form new memories. Brenda's study of Henry helped to identify the hippocampus as a critical part of the brain's memory system.
Milner's work has helped to shape our understanding of memory, learning, and other cognitive functions.
Born: 1918
Nationality: British-Canadian
Brenda Milner was born in Manchester, England and later worked as a research psychologist in Canada, where she conducted groundbreaking research on the neural basis of memory and cognition.
One of Brenda's most famous patients was Henry Molaison, who is known as "Patient H.M." Henry had undergone surgery to remove the hippocampus and amygdala from his brain. After the surgery, he lost the ability to form new memories. Brenda's study of Henry helped to identify the hippocampus as a critical part of the brain's memory system.
Milner's work has helped to shape our understanding of memory, learning, and other cognitive functions.
In The Remarkablz universe, Brenda Milner wasn’t always a superhero—she began as a quiet, curious girl with an uncanny ability to recall everything she saw, heard, or felt. But everything changed when she was recruited to investigate a strange neurological event that left several Team Remarkablz members with gaps in their memories.
As she dug deeper, she uncovered a villainous force capable of erasing the past: the Manipulator. To find a cure Brenda exposed her own brain to a rare form of neural energy drawn from the mind of a patient named Henry. Instead of erasing her memories, the energy fused with her consciousness, granting her the extraordinary power to remember every experience and event—not just her own, but those of others too. Brenda can walk through the memoryscape, retrieve lost thoughts, detect lies, and even restore erased identities. Her mind is completely shielded from Memory Manipulation, making her the ultimate record-keeper of truth and history.
As she dug deeper, she uncovered a villainous force capable of erasing the past: the Manipulator. To find a cure Brenda exposed her own brain to a rare form of neural energy drawn from the mind of a patient named Henry. Instead of erasing her memories, the energy fused with her consciousness, granting her the extraordinary power to remember every experience and event—not just her own, but those of others too. Brenda can walk through the memoryscape, retrieve lost thoughts, detect lies, and even restore erased identities. Her mind is completely shielded from Memory Manipulation, making her the ultimate record-keeper of truth and history.
Superhero Backstory
BRENDA'S DRAWING EXPLAINED
This comic book cover is hiding a few hidden treasures that relate back to her life and work...
- The logo on the tower is a drawing of the Kavli Prize. Brenda was awarded the Kavli Prize in Neuroscience in 2014.
- The statue of Henry Molaison is behind Brenda. He is known as Patient H.M, and the "Man who couldn't remember". Brenda studied the effects of damage to the medial temporal lobe on Henry's memory.
- The flag fluttering from the tower features McGill's three martlets, the University's mascot. Brenda has been a professor at McGill since 2010.
- The image on Brenda's belt is that of the Balzan Prize. The Balzan Prize is awarded to a person that has achieved distinction for outstanding work. Brenda was awarded the prize in 2009 for contributions to Cognitive Neurosciences.
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Who was the "Man who couldn't Remember"?
When an operation left Henry Molaison unable to form new memories, he could remember events that occurred before his surgery but he was unable to form new memories. If Henry met someone who then left the room, within minutes he had no recollection of the person or their meeting. He became the most important patient in the history of brain science. Brenda Milner began studying Henry but referred to him as H.M. to protect his privacy.
Check out this video from Connecticut Public Podcasts
Check out this video from Connecticut Public Podcasts
How does my memory work?
Why does our brain store memory separately into long-term and short-term memories?
Think of short-term memory like a sticky note — it holds small bits of information for a short time, like a phone number or what someone just said. This helps us handle things in the moment.
Long-term memory is more like a library. It stores important knowledge and experiences — like your birthday, your favorite story, or how to ride a bike — so you can use them again and again.
Video Credit: BBC Earth Lab
Think of short-term memory like a sticky note — it holds small bits of information for a short time, like a phone number or what someone just said. This helps us handle things in the moment.
Long-term memory is more like a library. It stores important knowledge and experiences — like your birthday, your favorite story, or how to ride a bike — so you can use them again and again.
Video Credit: BBC Earth Lab
How does my brain store memories again?
Great question! Scientists are still exploring exactly how our brains store memories, but here’s what we do know: your brain has special parts that help you remember things, from what you had for breakfast to facts for a test.
For the slightly older viewers check out this great video by NeuroTransmissions on how the brain stores memories.
Video Credit: Neuro Transmissions
For the slightly older viewers check out this great video by NeuroTransmissions on how the brain stores memories.
Video Credit: Neuro Transmissions
What is the Hippocampus?
The hippocampus is a small, curved part deep inside your brain that’s super important for making memories! It helps turn short-term memories into long-term memories. Without the hippocampus, your brain would have a hard time saving anything new.
It’s called the hippocampus because its shape reminded early scientists of a seahorse!
Video credit: TedEx
It’s called the hippocampus because its shape reminded early scientists of a seahorse!
Video credit: TedEx
"I knew I was witnessing something important.." Brenda Milner
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