Joanne Berger-Sweeney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joanne Berger-Sweeney
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Berger-Sweeney in 2012
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| 22nd President of Trinity College | |
| Assumed office October 26, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | James F. Jones Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joanne Sweeney
September 21, 1958 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Education | Wellesley College (BA) University of California, Berkeley (MPH) Johns Hopkins University (PhD) |
| Known for | Galantamine proof of concept |
| Spouse(s) | Urs Berger |
| Children | 2 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neuroscience |
| Institutions | Trinity College (Connecticut) |
| Doctoral advisor | Joseph T. Coyle Yvon Lamour |
| Doctoral students | Elizabeth A. Buffalo |
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Joanne E. Berger-Sweeney (born September 21, 1958) is an American neuroscientist. A neuroscientist studies the brain and nervous system. She is the 22nd president of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. She is the first African-American person and the first woman to hold this important position. Earlier in her career, Berger-Sweeney helped show that a medicine called galantamine could help treat Alzheimer's disease.
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Early Life and Education
Joanne Berger-Sweeney was born on September 21, 1958, in Los Angeles. Her parents were both very accomplished. Her father earned a law degree. Her mother was the first African-American woman to lead a Girl Scouts Council in a major city.
Berger-Sweeney went to Wellesley College. She earned a degree in psychobiology in 1979. Psychobiology is a field that combines psychology and biology. She then received a Masters of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley in 1981.
Studying the Brain
Berger-Sweeney continued her studies at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She earned her PhD in neurotoxicology in 1989. Neurotoxicology is the study of how harmful substances affect the nervous system.
During her doctoral work, she researched galantamine. She showed that this drug could reverse memory problems in mice. This research was very important. It helped lead to the drug being approved by the FDA. Galantamine is now a widely used medicine for Alzheimer's disease. After her PhD, she did more research in Paris, France.
Career Highlights
In 1991, Berger-Sweeney returned to Wellesley College. She became a professor and conducted research there. She was the first African-American woman to become a full professor at Wellesley. She also directed the neuroscience program.
Leading at Tufts University
From 2010 to 2014, Berger-Sweeney was the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University. She worked to make the school's faculty stronger. She also helped create new programs that combined different subjects.
She helped start the Center for Race and Democracy at Tufts. This center studies how race affects people's lives. She also helped create the Bridge to Liberal Arts Success at Tufts (BLAST) program. This program supports college students from schools that don't have many resources.
President of Trinity College
On October 26, 2014, Berger-Sweeney made history. She became the first woman and first African American to lead Trinity College (Connecticut). Her contract was renewed in 2018, extending her leadership through 2024.
As president, she has led many important projects. These include a new plan for the college's future. She also started a mentoring program for new students. This program helps them adjust to college life. She also worked to make the campus more welcoming for everyone.
In April 2024, Berger-Sweeney announced her plan to retire from Trinity College. Her retirement will take place after the 2024-25 academic year.
Important Leadership Roles
Beyond Trinity College, Berger-Sweeney holds other leadership positions. She is a director at Hartford Hospital. She also chairs a committee for the Society for Neuroscience. She serves on the board of directors for AFS Intercultural Programs/USA. She is also a trustee for Framingham State University.
Research and Discoveries
Berger-Sweeney has received grants for her research. These grants come from organizations like the National Institutes of Health. Her work focuses on how the brain learns and remembers. She also studies how this applies to certain brain development conditions. She has written or co-written over 60 scientific articles.
Awards and Recognitions
Berger-Sweeney has received many awards for her scientific work. Some of these include:
- Member, Sigma Xi (1992)
- Young Investigator Award, National Science Foundation (1994)
- Member, The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives
- Lifetime Mentoring Award, Society for Neuroscience (2006)
- Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2012)
- Distinguished Alumna Award, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (2015)
- Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2018)
Personal Life
Joanne Berger-Sweeney is married to Urs V. Berger. He is also a neuroscientist and a computer scientist. They have two children.
Images for kids
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Joanne Berger-Sweeney's signature
