Professor Olmstead was fascinated by the human brain and its role in governing the human body. He received his PhD from the University of Virginia in Physiological Psychology in 1973. As a postdoc he was drawn to the research being done at UCLA, intending to stay for a couple of years, but in fact he remained for the rest of his life, as a neuroscience researcher and a professor of anatomy. His research projects at the UCLA Mental Retardation Research Center and later in the Division of Neurosurgery included perinatal hydrocephalus and childhood epilepsy.
His greatest gift was in teaching, as he brought his research experience to the training of undergraduate, dental and medical students. He spent several years participating in UCLA’s Developmental Disabilities Immersion Program and the Summer Programs for Undergraduate Research. He was able to draw upon his varied experience to be a faculty advisor in the Graduate Division’s program to assist students preparing their applications for extramural fellowship proposals. His patience and his caring spirit helped many an uncertain student find their footing on the path toward their chosen medical field.
He enjoyed several trips in Europe during the 60s and 70s, and later traveled in the Peruvian Amazon with scientific artist Sharon Belkin. He was a gifted photographer with a keen eye and endless curiosity. There was never enough time to finish all those books that fed his interests in history, psychology, poetry and the mysteries of life.
Chuck left us on July 8, 2020, after a brief battle with liver cancer. He leaves behind a sister, Patricia Sjostrom, and a brother, Ancil Olmstead, both of northern Pennsylvania, and a devoted partner for 33 years, Sharon Belkin.
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