Ursula Bellugi (February 21, 1931 – April 17, 2022) was an American cognitive neuroscientist. She was a Distinguished Professor Emerita and director of the Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California. She is known for research on the neurological bases of American Sign Language and language representation in people with Williams Syndrome.

Early life and education

Bellugi was born in Jena, Germany. Her father was Maximilian Herzberger, a physicist and mathematician at the University of Jena. He was Jewish and lost his job during the Third Reich. Albert Einstein helped him to emigrate to Rochester, NY, where he became head of the Kodak company's optical research laboratories. She studied psychology and received a B.A. from Antioch College in 1952 and an Ed.D. from Harvard University in 1967.

Career

In 1968 she moved to California, working at the Salk Institute. Beginning 1970 she was Director of its Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience. beginning 1977 she was an adjunct professor at the University of California, San Diego and after 1995 at San Diego State University. She was an associate with the Sloan Center for Theoretical Neurobiology at the Salk Institute.

Research

Broadly stated, she conducted research on the biological bases of language. More specifically, she studied the neurological bases of American Sign Language extensively, and her work led to the discovery that the left hemisphere of the human brain becomes specialized for language, whether spoken or signed, a striking demonstration of neuronal plasticity. She also investigated the language abilities of individuals with Williams Syndrome, a puzzling genetically based disorder that leaves language, facial recognition and social skills remarkably well-preserved in contrast to severe inadequacy in other cognitive aptitudes. The search for the underlying biological basis for this disorder is providing new opportunities for understanding how brain structure and function relate to cognitive capabilities.

Honors and distinctions

Bellugi was recognized with numerous awards, including the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association (1992). In 2007 she was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and in 2008 she was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences. She was also on the advisory council of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

Personal life

In 1954 Bellugi married the Italian conductor Piero Bellugi., whom she divorced while in Cambridge. She conducted much of her research in collaboration with her second husband Edward Klima, a linguist who also specialized in the study of American Sign Language at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). She had two sons, David and Rob. She died on April 17, 2022, in La Jolla, California.

Publications

Books

Selected publications