Danielle Bassett facts for kids

Dani Smith Bassett (born around 1981) is an American scientist. They are a physicist and a systems neuroscientist. This means they study how the brain works as a complex system.

In 2014, Dani Bassett received a MacArthur fellowship. They were the youngest person ever to get this award. They also won a Sloan fellowship in the same year.

Currently, Dani Bassett is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. They teach in many departments, including Bioengineering and Physics. Their research focuses on using network science to understand the human brain. They study how our brains learn and how other complex systems work.

Early Life and Schooling

Dani S. Bassett was born Danielle Perry in 1981. They grew up in Lock Haven and Reading, Pennsylvania. At first, Dani wanted to work in medicine, like others in their family. They started studying nursing.

But then, Dani discovered a strong interest in mathematics. They decided to combine physics and math with neuroscience. Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system and brain.

In 2004, Dani Bassett earned a bachelor's degree in physics. They graduated from Pennsylvania State University. After that, they received special scholarships. These allowed them to study at the University of Cambridge in England. Dani earned a postgraduate certificate in 2005. They completed their PhD in 2009.

What Dani Bassett Does

After finishing their studies, Dani S. Bassett worked as a researcher. From 2009 to 2011, they were at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Then, they became a Sage Junior Research Fellow.

Today, Dani Bassett is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. They hold a special position in the bioengineering department.

Understanding the Brain's Network

Early in their career, Dani Bassett focused on network science. This field helps us understand how different parts are connected. They used these ideas to study how the brain is organized.

Bassett looked at the brain's "small-world" topology. Imagine a social network where everyone knows a few close friends. But through those friends, they can quickly connect to anyone else in the world. The brain works similarly. It has many close connections, but also short paths to distant areas.

Dani Bassett's team used math, like graph theory, to study these connections. Their models helped explain how the brain's structure affects its function.

Brain Connections and Health

Bassett's early work helped examine different parts of the brain. They found that some brain areas have a clear, step-by-step organization. Other areas are more mixed.

They also applied these ideas to people with schizophrenia. They noticed that the brain's organization was different in these individuals. The connections seemed to be spread out more than usual. Dani Bassett continues to research how brain networks relate to brain conditions.

Brain Flexibility and Learning

Dani Bassett and their team also study brain flexibility. This means how often a brain region changes its communication patterns. A brain that switches patterns more often is more flexible.

They found that a flexible brain is often better at learning new things. This research could be very helpful for rehabilitation. For example, it might help patients who have had a stroke recover.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Dani Bassett has received many awards for their work. While in college, they won the Paul Axt Prize. This award is for students who are very curious and committed to learning. They were also named the Most Achieving Undergraduate Woman of the Year in 2004.

Their graduate studies were funded by prestigious scholarships. These included the Winston Churchill Scholarship.

Later, Dani Bassett received the Alumni Achievement Award. This was from their old college, Pennsylvania State University. It recognized their amazing accomplishments before age 35.

In 2012, they were named a "Rising Star" by the American Psychological Society. In 2014, they won the Sloan Research Fellowship. Most notably, they were one of 21 winners of the MacArthur fellowship in September 2014.

In 2016, Popular Science magazine named Dani Bassett one of the ten most brilliant scientists of the year. They received the Lagrange Prize in Complex Systems in 2017. In 2018, they won the Erdős–Rényi Prize. This was for their important work on the brain's network structure.

Dani Bassett was also made a fellow of two important groups. They became a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering in 2020. In 2021, they became a fellow of the American Physical Society.

About Dani Bassett's Life

Dani S. Bassett has two children. In their younger years, they were the captain of the crew team. This was when they studied at King's College, Cambridge. Dani Bassett also has a twin, Perry Zurn. Perry is a professor of philosophy at American University.

Selected Publications

Books

• Curious Minds: The Power of Connection (2022) : Cambridge: The MIT Press . (ISBN: 0262047039)

Articles