Allan F. Mirsky passed away on Feb. 3, 2023 after a long and highly distinguished career in neuropsychology. Allan’s gentle nature, humility and kindness, and his characteristic dry sense of humor will be missed by his family, friends, and countless students whom he has influenced. Allan was born and raised in New York City, New York. After graduation from the Bronx High School of Science, he attended the City College of New York where he considered studying engineering, French, premed studies, and biology until he discovered psychology, and never looked back.
Dr. Mirsky went on to receive his Ph.D. from Yale in 1954. He recalled Yale as a tremendously stimulating environment, with multiple neuropsychological studies going on at the Psychology Department and the Medical School. In studying WWII veterans with brain injuries, Dr. Mirsky helped to create the Continuous Performance Test (CPT), which remains the standard method to assess sustained attention. Allan was then recruited to the National Institute of Mental Health, where he continued to pursue a lifelong interest in the neural bases and behavioral effects of seizure disorders. After eight years, he moved to Boston University as Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neurology. In his 19 years there, he continued his research on epilepsy and other attention disorders. He then returned to the National Institute of Mental Health as Chief of the Laboratory of Psychology and Psychopathology.
In his 70-year career, Allan made major contributions to studies of attention in numerous clinical disorders. He is particularly well known in the field for his emphasis on brainstem structures and their role in attention, and for partitioning attention into five distinct processes, with each measured by different tests and supported by different brain structures. This model provides a taxonomy of attention that is now standard in the field of neuropsychology.
Allan served as President of several professional societies and was one of the founders of the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology, from whom he received the Award for Distinguished Service and Contributions to the Profession of Psychology from ABPP. Other professional awards included the Distinguished Career Award from the International Neuropsychological Society and the Distinguished Lifetime Contribution to Neuropsychology Award from the National Academy of Neuropsychology.
He is also remembered by scores of friends, colleagues, and mentees for his humble and gentle nature, his dry sense of humor, his splendid ability to tell a story, his thoughtfulness, and his generosity of time and attention. His mentorship and continual support of others will be missed most of all.
Allan is survived by his beloved wife of 36 years, Connie C. Duncan, Ph.D., a daughter, Laura Mirsky, and son, Richard Mirsky, a brother, David P. Mirsky, M.D., and his standard poodle, Matti, as well as many friends and colleagues.
*Based on his obituary from The Washington Post and reprinted with the permission of his wife.