Hanna Damasio facts for kids

Hanna Damasio is a brilliant scientist who studies the human brain. She uses special tools like computerized tomography (CT scans) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scans). These tools help her look closely at how our brains are built.

Dr. Damasio also studies how the brain works. She explores important functions like language, memory, and emotions. She uses different methods, including studying people with brain injuries and using functional neuroimaging to see brain activity. Today, she is a top professor and director at the University of Southern California.

Exploring the Brain: Hanna Damasio's Work

After earning her medical degree from the University of Lisbon in 1969, Hanna Damasio started her teaching career. She joined the University of Iowa in 1976. She quickly became a full professor there by 1985.

From 1982 to 2004, Dr. Damasio also led the Laboratory for Neuroimaging and Human Neuroanatomy at the University of Iowa. She is still a respected professor at the University of Iowa. Currently, she is a leading professor of neuroscience at the University of Southern California. She also directs the Dana and David Dornsife Cognitive Neuroscience Imaging Center.

How Brain Imaging Helps

Hanna Damasio uses advanced brain imaging methods. These include computerized tomography and nuclear magnetic resonance (MRI). These tools help doctors better diagnose brain diseases.

Her current projects are very exciting. She is creating new ways to study brain structure using MRI. She is also developing new methods to understand results from positron emission tomography (PET) scans.

Understanding Language, Memory, and Emotion

Dr. Damasio also investigates how our brains handle language, memory, emotions, and making decisions. She uses the lesion method, which involves studying people whose brains have been affected by injury or disease.

Her important work has led to many scientific articles. These articles have appeared in top science journals. In 1989, she wrote a classic textbook called Lesion Analysis in Neuropsychology. This book won an award for being an outstanding book in science and medicine.

Dr. Damasio's interest in human brain anatomy also led her to create the first atlas of the human brain. This atlas uses computer tomography images. It is called "Human Brain Anatomy in Computerized Images" and is a well-known reference book.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Hanna Damasio has received many honors for her amazing work.

• In 1992, she won the Pessoa Prize for her important contributions to science and literature.
• She was chosen to be part of the American Neurological Association in 1995.
• In 1997, she became a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
• In 2004, she shared the Jean-Louis Signoret Prize in cognitive neuroscience. This was for her groundbreaking work in understanding how we think about others.
• In 2010, she received the Cozzarelli Prize. This award is from the United States National Academy of Sciences. It was for the best article in behavioral neuroscience published in 2009.

In 2011, Hanna Damasio and her husband, Antonio Damasio, received special honorary degrees. These were from Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland. They were honored for their contributions to neurology. She also holds honorary degrees from other famous universities. These include the Sorbonne in Paris, the Open University of Catalonia in Barcelona, and the Universities of Lisbon and Aachen.

About Her Life

Hanna Damasio is married to Antonio Damasio. He is also a famous neurologist who studies how emotions and thinking are connected. Together, they lead the Brain and Creativity Institute (BCI) at the University of Southern California. When she is not busy with science, Hanna Damasio enjoys creating sculptures.

Inspiring Words

• "The case for women in science and medicine has been made and won."
• "This has had a truly liberating effect. It allows us to behave toward each other as colleagues, regardless of gender, and to expect the same opportunities and the same behavior."

See also

In Spanish: Hanna Damásio para niños