Karalyn Patterson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karalyn Patterson
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Patterson in 2014
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| Born |
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Education | South Shore High School |
| Alma mater | University of California, San Diego |
| Spouse(s) | Roy D. Patterson |
| Awards | Suffrage Science award (2020) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Cognitive neuropsychology |
| Institutions | University of Cambridge |
| Thesis | Limitations on retrieval from long-term memory (1971) |
Karalyn Eve Patterson is a famous British scientist. She works at the University of Cambridge. Patterson is an expert in cognitive neuropsychology. This is the study of how our brain affects our thoughts and actions. She is especially interested in how language and memory work.
Patterson is also an Emeritus Fellow at Darwin College, Cambridge. This is a special title for respected professors who have retired but still stay connected to the college.
Early Life and Schooling
Karalyn Patterson was born in Chicago, a large city in the United States. She went to South Shore High School and graduated in 1961.
For her higher education, she attended the University of California, San Diego. In 1971, she earned her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which is the highest degree a student can get in a subject.
Career and Research
In 1975, Patterson moved to England. She started a new job at the Medical Research Council (MRC) in Cambridge. The MRC is an important organization that funds medical research.
Patterson's work has helped us understand how the brain handles language and memory. She also studies what happens to these abilities in people with diseases like dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
Honors and Achievements
Patterson is highly respected for her work. She is a member of two of the most important academic groups in the United Kingdom:
- The Royal Society, which is the top organization for scientists.
- The British Academy, which is the top organization for humanities and social sciences.
Being a member of both is a very rare honor. When she was nominated for the Royal Society, they praised her work:
Karalyn Patterson was one of the prime initiators of the field of cognitive neuropsychology... her work has led to a better understanding of how language and memory are organised in the brain, and how they unravel in Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.
This means she was one of the first people to develop the field of cognitive neuropsychology. Her research has given us important knowledge about the brain.
In 2020, Patterson received the Suffrage Science Life Sciences Award. This award celebrates women in science and encourages future generations of female scientists.
Personal Life
Besides her science career, Patterson has other interests. She enjoys food and wine. For a time, she was a wine steward, or Sommelier, at Darwin College, Cambridge. A wine steward is an expert who helps select and serve wine.
Patterson is married to Roy D. Patterson, who is also a scientist.
