Bernice Shanet facts for kids

Bernice Grafstein Shanet (born September 17, 1929) is a famous Canadian brain scientist. She is a professor at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. She is known for her research on how nerves can heal and grow back, which is called neuroregeneration.

Professor Shanet holds a special title: the Vincent and Brooke Astor Distinguished Professorship in Neuroscience. She was also the first woman to be president of the American Society for Neuroscience. She is famous for studying how materials move along nerve cells. Her early work on "cortical spreading depression" (a type of brain wave) is still important today.

About Bernice Shanet

Bernice Shanet was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on September 17, 1929. She started studying at the University of Toronto in 1947. There, she focused on how the body works (Physiology) and the chemicals in living things (Biochemistry). She earned her B.A. degree in Physiology in 1951.

After that, Shanet went to McGill University in Montreal, Canada. For her PhD, she studied "cortical spreading depression." This is a special electrical wave in the brain. She earned her PhD in Physiology in 1954.

She then did more research in London for two years. Later, she returned to McGill University. Shanet became very interested in how nerve cells connect with each other. She studied with famous scientists to learn more about this.

Eventually, she was invited to join The Rockefeller University. This is where she began her important research on how the nervous system can repair itself. This has been her main area of study ever since. In 1969, she moved to Weill Cornell Medical College. She still teaches there today as a distinguished professor.

Her Scientific Work

As a student, Bernice Shanet learned to study the electrical signals in the brain. Her PhD research looked at how "cortical spreading depression" works. This brain wave is now linked to conditions like migraines and strokes. Her work showed how potassium ions (tiny charged particles) move between nerve cells during this process.

Later, she became interested in how the nervous system develops and heals. She is well-known for her work on how proteins move inside healthy and healing nerve cells. This is called intracellular transport. She also studied how different brain cells communicate using molecular signals.

Her research at Weill Cornell has focused on the visual system of goldfish. Goldfish are special because their nerves can regenerate (grow back) easily. She continues to study how materials move along nerve fibers (axonal transport) and how this helps nerves heal. Throughout her career, Shanet has always been interested in how the structure of nerve tissue relates to its function.

Awards and Recognition

Bernice Shanet has received many honors for her work. She is a leader in several important science organizations. These include the Grass Foundation and the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives. She has also advised groups like the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

She has helped voluntary health groups that focus on brain and spinal cord injuries. The National Spinal Cord Injury Foundation gave her the L.W. Freeman Award of Merit twice. In 1982, she was honored as an outstanding woman scientist in New York. Weill Cornell Medical College has also given her awards for excellent teaching.

Shanet has been a member of the Society for Neuroscience since it began. She served on its Council and was its treasurer. From 1985 to 1986, she was the president of the society. In 2003, she received the Mika Salpeter Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honors scientists who have made great achievements in neuroscience. It also recognizes those who have helped women advance in the field.

Personal Life

Bernice Shanet was married to Howard S. Shanet from 1963 until his death in 2006. Howard Shanet was a conductor, composer, and music professor at Columbia University. They have a son named Laurence P. Shanet. He works as a television producer and director.