Margaret Livingstone facts for kids

Margaret Stratford Livingstone is a leading scientist who studies the brain. She is a professor of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. Her work focuses on how we see the world around us, which is called visual perception. She also wrote a book titled Vision and Art: The Biology of Seeing, which explores how our eyes and brain work together to understand art.

Early Life and Education

Margaret Livingstone was born in Virginia in 1950. She started her college journey at Duke University. Later, she moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She earned her first degree from MIT in 1972.

After that, she continued her studies at Harvard University. In 1981, she received her Ph.D. degree there. A Ph.D. is a very high academic degree.

Career Path

After getting her Ph.D., Margaret Livingstone worked as a visiting researcher. She spent time at Princeton University. Then, she joined David H. Hubel at Harvard University as a postdoctoral fellow. This means she did more research after her Ph.D.

In 1983, she became an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. She quickly moved up the ranks. By 1988, she was promoted to a full professor. In 2014, she was named the Takeda Professor of Neurobiology. This is a special title that honors her important work.

Discoveries About Vision

Margaret Livingstone's research helps us understand how our brains see. She has studied how mammals, like humans and monkeys, perceive shapes and movement. Her work also looks into how our brains process colors.

Brain and Vision Research

Her early studies looked at special brain cells called neurons. These neurons respond to a chemical called serotonin. She first studied these cells in lobsters.

Later, she moved on to study vision in cats and monkeys. This research helped scientists understand how our brains identify faces. It also gave clues about conditions like dyslexia, which affects reading.

Awards and Recognition

Margaret Livingstone has received many important awards for her work. These awards recognize her contributions to science.

In 2011, she received the Mika Salpeter Lifetime Achievement Award. This award came from the Society for Neuroscience. It celebrates scientists who have made a big impact over their careers.

In 2015, she was chosen to be a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This is a group of very smart people. In 2020, she was also elected to the United States' National Academy of Sciences. Being elected to these groups is a huge honor for a scientist.

In 2024, she shared the Rosenstiel Award. She received this award with three other scientists: Winrich Freiwald, Nancy Kanwisher, and Doris Tsao. They were honored for their research on how the brains of humans and other primates recognize faces.