Carol Tamminga facts for kids

Carol A. Tamminga is an American doctor who specializes in the brain and mental health. She is a psychiatrist, which means she helps people with mental illnesses. She is also a neuroscientist, meaning she studies the brain and nervous system.

Dr. Tamminga focuses on helping people with serious mental health conditions. These include illnesses like schizophrenia, a disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. She also works with bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder, which involve changes in mood and thinking.

Currently, she holds important positions at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She is the head of psychiatric research and leads a team that studies schizophrenia. Since 2008, she has been the Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at UTSW. She is also a member of the National Academy of Medicine, a group of top experts in health and medicine.

Dr. Tamminga helps guide important organizations like the Brain and Behavioral Research Foundation and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). In 2011, she received the Lieber Prize for her amazing work in schizophrenia research. Her current research looks into what causes schizophrenia, especially symptoms like psychosis (losing touch with reality) and problems with memory.

Who is Carol Tamminga?

Carol A. Tamminga is a leading expert in understanding and treating serious mental illnesses. She uses her knowledge as both a psychiatrist and a neuroscientist to help people. Her work aims to find better ways to diagnose and treat conditions like schizophrenia.

Early Life and Education

Carol Tamminga was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her family has a history of business success. Her grandfather, John E. Hekman, started the Hekman Biscuit Company. This company later became part of the Keebler Company, known for its cookies and crackers. Her uncle, Edward J. Hekman, was also a president of Keebler.

Dr. Tamminga earned her medical degree (M.D.) from Vanderbilt University. After that, she completed her training in psychiatry at the University of Chicago. She taught and did research at the University of Chicago from 1975 to 1979. She then continued her training in neurology.

In 1979, she joined the University of Maryland Medical School. There, she taught students, conducted important research, and cared for patients. In 2003, she moved to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where she continues her groundbreaking work today.

Family Life

Carol Tamminga was married to Jim Hengeveld, who passed away in 2006. She has two daughters, Cristan Tamminga and Bonnie Tamminga Fleming. Her daughter, Bonnie, is also a successful scientist. In September 2022, Bonnie was named a chief research officer at Fermilab, a major science laboratory.