In the 1990s, thousands of repressed memory cases came to light, with affected patients taking legal action against family members, former neighbours, doctors, dentists and teachers. As an expert witness in such cases, Loftus came under sustained attack from therapists and patients who were convinced the new-found memories were accurate. But sometimes it can also be a matter of life and death.”Loftus was awarded the 2016 John Maddox Prize on Thursday for promoting sound science and evidence on a matter of public interest in the face of deep, personal hostility. Sir Colin Blakemore, a neuroscientist and Maddox Prize judge, said Loftus had had an “enormous impact” on cognitive science. “What makes her such a worthy winner of the John Maddox Prize is her determination to use the lessons from her research to challenge courtroom procedures and the unjustified claims of some psychotherapists,” he said.

Source: The Guardian November 17, 2016 18:56 UTC