Neuroglia cells of a cat illustrated by Cajal. Santiago Ram籀n y Cajal (1852-1934) was a Spanish pathologist, histologist, neuroscientist, and Nobel laureate (1906). His pioneering investigations of the microscopic structure of the brain were original: he is considered by many to be the father of modern neuroscience. He was skilled at drawing, and hundreds of his illustrations of brain cells are still used for educational purposes today. Glial cells, sometimes called neuroglia or simply glia are non-neuronal cells that maintain homeostasis, form myelin, and provide support and protection for neurons in the brain, and for neurons in other parts of the nervous system such as in the autonomic nervous system.