Elaine Bearer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elaine L. Bearer
|
|
|---|---|
Elaine Bearer in 2022.
|
|
| Born |
Elaine Louise Bearer
|
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Manhattan School of Music (BM) New York University (MA) UCSF (MD PhD) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields |
|
| Institutions | University of New Mexico, California Institute of Technology, Marine Biological Laboratory |
| Theses |
|
| Doctoral advisor | Daniel S. Friend |
| Other academic advisors | Jan LaRue, Lelio Orci, Bruce Alberts, Charlie Epstein |
Elaine L. Bearer is an American scientist and composer. She studies the brain (neuroscience) and diseases (pathology). She also writes music.
Contents
Education and Early Life
Elaine Bearer loved music from a young age. She studied with Nadia Boulanger, a famous music teacher, in France.
She earned her Bachelor's degree in Music from The Manhattan School of Music in 1970. Later, she received a Master's degree from New York University. Her master's project was about the music of Haydn.
Bearer then went to the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). There, she earned two advanced degrees: an MD (Doctor of Medicine) and a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy).
Her Scientific Career
After her studies, Dr. Bearer worked with top scientists. She did research at UCSF and Brown University. In 2009, she joined the University of New Mexico as a professor.
Discoveries in Cells and Brains
Dr. Bearer has made many important scientific discoveries.
- She was one of the first to see "lipid rafts" in cell membranes. These are special areas that help brain cells send signals.
- She also studied tiny holes in blood vessels. These holes help substances move between blood and tissues.
- She found proteins called Arp2 and kaptin. These proteins help cells move and change shape. She learned that changes in kaptin can cause inherited deafness.
Dr. Bearer also started using a special type of brain imaging. This is called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). She used it to study living animals.
Imaging the Brain
Since 2007, Dr. Bearer has used MRI to study the brain. She looks at mouse models of human brain disorders. These include conditions like Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease.
She developed a method called MEMRI. This stands for Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging. It helps scientists see how the brain changes over time. She uses it to study how diseases or experiences affect the brain.
Dr. Bearer is an elected member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This is a big honor for scientists.
Research Details
Dr. Bearer's research often looks at how cells work. She studied how brain cells release signals. She also looked at how proteins help cells move things around inside them.
She used the herpes simplex virus (HSV) to study how brain cells transport materials. Her work helped show how HSV interacts with a protein called APP. This protein is linked to Alzheimer's disease.
From 2006 to 2021, Dr. Bearer published many papers on MEMRI. Her work with Russell E. Jacobs helped discover changes in brain connections.
Science Publishing
In 2023, Dr. Bearer became the Editor in Chief for Biology of Natural Sciences. This is a new science journal. She helps decide which new research papers get published. She is especially interested in brain imaging and how the brain affects behavior.
Her Music Career
Besides being a scientist, Elaine Bearer is also a talented composer. She writes new music every year.
While at Brown University, she was a professor in both science and music. She also teaches music at the University of New Mexico.
Musical Works
Dr. Bearer has written many pieces of music.
- Her piano concerto, Ode to the White Crown Sparrow, has been performed by orchestras.
- She wrote Ah-tosh-mit Overture for the 125th anniversary of UCSF.
- The Magdalene Passion is a long musical story for singers and orchestra.
- Ultrasonic is a symphonic poem.
- She also wrote L'alma rapita for chorus and string quartet. This piece was inspired by an old composer named Carlo Gesualdo.
Her music has been recorded on a CD by Albany Records. One of her pieces, the Nicholls Trio, is published for others to play.
