Alexandr Luria

Alexandr Luria (1902-1977), Soviet psychologist, who was born in Kazan, Russia, and educated at Kazan University and the Moscow Medical Institute. A pioneer in neuropsychology, Alexandr Romanovich Luria looked for physiological explanations for problems such as mental retardation and speech disorders, and he conducted research on the relationship between speech development and mental growth in children. During World War II he developed important techniques for the restoration or improvement of damaged brain functions. His writings include The Nature of Human Conflicts (1932) and The Human Brain and Psychological Processes (1963).