Trotter Prize honors leaders in brain science and philosophy

The Trotter Prize in Information, Complexity, and Inference is awarded annually to recognize pioneering contributions that illuminate the mechanisms of nature. The Trotter Lecture Series seeks to explore connections between science and religion — two fields often viewed in academia as separate.

On March 4, the Trotter Prize honored Dr. Michael Egnor and Dr. Iain McGilchrist, who address the intricacies of the human brain and offer differing perspectives on the foundations of its complexity.

Dr. Michael Egnor

Egnor is an American pediatric neurosurgeon and professor of neurological surgery and pediatrics at Stony Brook University. He earned his medical degree from Columbia University and completed his residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Egnor has served as director of pediatric neurosurgery and sits on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Hydrocephalus Association. His research has been published in leading medical journals, and he has lectured throughout the United States and Europe. He is co-author of “The Immortal Mind: A Neurosurgeon’s Case for the Existence of the Soul.”

Dr. Iain McGilchrist

McGilchrist is a British psychiatrist, author and philosopher whose work examines the relationship between the brain, mind and culture. He previously served as a consultant psychiatrist at Bethlem Royal Hospital and the Maudsley Hospital and was a research fellow at Johns Hopkins University. He has also held fellowships at the University of Oxford.

McGilchrist’s expertise spans neuroscience, psychiatry, literature and philosophy. He is the author of “The Master and His Emissary” as well as “The Matter with Things.” He is also a frequent international lecturer and contributor to media and documentary projects. He lives and writes on the Isle of Skye.

The 2026 Trotter Prize and Lecture Series brought both scholars together to examine questions at the intersection of science, philosophy and faith through the lens of brain science.