Angus Silver facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Angus Silver
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Silver in 2017
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Robin Angus Silver
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| Alma mater | Coventry Polytechnic University College London |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neuroscience Neuroinformatics Microscopy |
| Thesis | Calcium as a second messenger in neuronal growth cones (1990) |
Robin Angus Silver is an English neuroscientist. He is a professor of neuroscience at University College London. He is also a Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow. His lab studies how brain cells (neurons) communicate. They also look at how artificial neural networks work. They do this by combining experiments in the lab and with computers.
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About Angus Silver
Angus Silver is a scientist who studies the brain. He focuses on how brain cells, called neurons, send signals to each other. This process is called neurotransmission. He also explores how these signals help us think and learn.
His Education
Angus Silver studied at Coventry Polytechnic. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical sciences in 1986. After that, he went to University College London. There, he completed his PhD in neuroscience in 1990. His research looked at how calcium signals work inside growing brain cells. These signals are like tiny messages that help cells develop.
What He Researches
Dr. Silver's work has helped us understand how brain cells and their connections, called synapses, work. He studies how the brain processes information. He developed ways to measure how synapses send signals. His research showed how these connections can send signals very quickly. He also studied electrical synapses. These are special connections that allow signals to pass directly between neurons.
He uses computer models to understand how brain circuits are built. He found that the connections in a part of the brain called the cerebellar input layer are very good at handling information. They help the brain understand different patterns of activity.
Cool Tools He Developed
Dr. Silver's team has created new tools to study how brain circuits work.
- One tool is a very fast 3D scanning fluorescence microscope. This microscope uses a special lens to scan and focus laser beams. It helps scientists measure brain activity very quickly.
- His team also helped create software called neuroConstruct. This software helps build models of brain circuits.
- They also worked on NeuroML, which is a language to describe these brain models in a standard way.
- Another project is OpenSourceBrain. This is a place where scientists can share and work together on brain models.
Dr. Silver's research has received funding from important groups. These include the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the European Research Council, and the Wellcome Trust.
Awards and Recognition
In 2017, Angus Silver was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists in the United Kingdom.
