Andrew King (neurophysiologist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andrew King
FRS FMedSci
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![]() King in 2018
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Born |
Andrew John King
8 April 1959 |
Education | Northolt High School |
Alma mater | King's College London University of London |
Awards | Wellcome Prize Medal in Physiology |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Neurophysiology |
Institutions | University of Oxford National Institute for Medical Research |
Thesis | The representation of visual and auditory space in the guinea-pig superior colliculus (1984) |
Andrew John King, born on April 8, 1959, is a British scientist. He studies how the brain works, especially how it processes sounds. He is a professor at the University of Oxford. He also holds a special research position called a Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow. This means he gets important funding for his studies. He is also a Fellow at Merton College, Oxford, which is a senior role at the college.
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Andrew King's Education
Andrew King went to Northolt High School when he was younger. Later, he studied at King's College London. There, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree.
He then became a PhD student. He did his research at the National Institute for Medical Research. His studies focused on how guinea pigs' brains understand sights and sounds. Specifically, he looked at a part of the brain called the superior colliculus. He earned his PhD from the University of London in 1984.
What Andrew King Researches
Professor King has made important discoveries about the brain. He found that the brains of mammals, like humans, have a special "map" for sounds. This map helps us understand where sounds come from. He also showed that this map changes as we grow and learn. It is shaped by all the sounds we hear.
His work also shows how flexible our adult brains are. They can change how they understand sounds. This helps us adjust to different sound environments. For example, our brains can adapt to noisy places. They can also adjust to changes in hearing, like when someone starts to lose their hearing.
Why His Research Matters
Professor King's research helps us understand how we hear. It explains how our brains process sounds. This knowledge is very important. It helps scientists find better ways to help people with hearing loss. His work can lead to new treatments and technologies.
Awards and Special Honours
In 2018, Andrew King was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honour for scientists in the UK. He received it because he made "substantial contributions to the improvement of natural knowledge." This means his work greatly helped our understanding of science. He is also a Fellow of The Physiological Society.