About Louis Reichardt
Louis French Reichardt is a noted American neuroscientist and mountaineer, the first American to summit both Everest and K2. He was also director of the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative, the largest non-federal supporter of scientific research into autism spectrum disorders and is an emeritus professor of physiology and biochemistry/biophysics at UCSF, where he studied neuroscience. The character of Harold Jameson, U.C.S.F. biophysicist and mountaineer in the film K2, is based on Reichardt, though the events of his actual 1978 K2 attempt with Jim Wickwire bear little resemblance to the plot of the film. Reichardt was awarded the Robert and Miriam Underhill Award by the American Alpine Club in 1993, The David Brower Conservation Award in 1997, and The Angelo Heilprin Citation in 2000. Reichardt, Louis (1974). "Dhauligiri 1973". Reichardt, Louis (1979). "K2: The End of a 40-Year American Quest".
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