Leah Keshet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leah Edelstein-Keshet
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Education | Dalhousie University Weizmann Institute of Science |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Mathematical Biology, Biophysics |
Institutions | University of British Columbia |
Doctoral advisor | Lee Segel |
Leah Edelstein-Keshet is a brilliant scientist from Israel and Canada. She is a mathematical biologist. This means she uses math to understand how living things work. She studies everything from tiny cells to large groups of animals.
Dr. Edelstein-Keshet is famous for her work in mathematical biology and biophysics. Her research covers many exciting topics. She looks at how cells move and what makes up their insides. She also creates models to understand diseases like autoimmune diabetes. Plus, she studies how animals like birds or insects move together in swarms. She is a full-time professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
Early Life and Education
Dr. Edelstein-Keshet was born in Israel. When she was 12, she moved to Canada with her family. She went to Dalhousie University to study mathematics. There, she earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees. In 1982, she received her doctorate degree. This was in Applied Mathematics from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Her supervisor for this important work was Lee Segel.
Her Career in Science
Dr. Edelstein-Keshet taught at other universities first. She held teaching jobs at Brown University and Duke University. In 1989, she joined the University of British Columbia. She started there as an Associate Professor. Today, she helps lead the faculty as Associate Head (Faculty Affairs).
She has written three important books. One famous book is Mathematical Models in Biology. It is part of the SIAM Series Classics in Applied Mathematics. In 1995, she made history. She became the first female president of the Society for Mathematical Biology. This group helps scientists who use math to study biology.
Awards and Special Recognition
Dr. Edelstein-Keshet has received many honors for her work. In 2003, she won the Krieger–Nelson Prize. This award comes from the Canadian Mathematical Society. It recognizes outstanding women in mathematics.
In 2014, she became a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. This honor was for her amazing contributions. She helped create math models for cells, the immune system, and animal swarms. She also helped improve math education. The University of British Columbia also gave her an award. It was a Faculty of Science Award for Leadership. In 2022, she was chosen as the SIAM John von Neumann Prize Lecturer. This is a very high honor in applied mathematics.