Justine Sergent facts for kids

Justine Saade-Sergent (born March 31, 1950 – died April 11, 1994) was a smart scientist. She worked in the field of cognitive neuroscience. This area studies how our brains help us think, learn, and remember. She was a professor at the Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University from 1979 to 1982.

Justine Sergent was seen as a leading expert in her field. Sadly, she faced some difficult challenges. After her death, an investigation looked into the claims. It found no proof of any wrongdoing.

Early Life and Education

Justine Saade was born on March 31, 1950, in Lebanon. While she was teaching there, she met Yves Sergent. He later became her husband. They moved to France and got married.

Justine Sergent then moved to Canada. She studied at McGill University in Montreal. There, she earned her bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.

Discoveries About the Brain

Justine Sergent was one of the first scientists to show how our brains process faces. She found a special area in the brain that helps us recognize faces. She described this area in 1992. It is called the Fusiform face area (FFA).

To study the brain, Sergent used a special scan called positron emission tomography (PET). She found that different parts of the brain became active. This depended on whether someone was looking at faces or other objects.

Later, in 1997, another scientist named Nancy Kanwisher named this brain area the FFA. She suggested that the FFA shows how specific parts of our brain handle different tasks.

Remembering Justine Sergent

Justine Sergent's important work is still remembered today.

• The Justine and Yves Sergent International Prize in Cognitive Neuroscience is given to other scientists.
• There is also a special meeting called The Justine and Yves Sergent Conference.