Linda Richards (neuroscientist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Linda Jane Richards AO FAA FAHMS
Linda Richards in 2017
Born	Australia
Citizenship	Australian
Alma mater	University of Melbourne, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
Scientific career
Fields	Neuroscience
Institutions	Washington University School of Medicine
Doctoral advisor	Perry Bartlett

Linda Jane Richards is an Australian scientist who studies how the brain develops. She is a top expert in neuroscience, which is the study of the nervous system. Currently, she leads the Department of Neuroscience at Washington University in the USA.

Dr. Richards has received many important awards for her work. She was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2019. This is a high honor in Australia. She is also a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and the Australian Academy of Science.

She is famous for her research on the corpus callosum. This is a thick band of nerve fibers that connects the two halves of your brain. Dr. Richards helped start a group called the International Consortium for the Corpus Callosum and Cerebral Connectivity (IRC5). She also used to be the president of the Australasian Neuroscience Society. She even started a fun competition for students called the Australian Brain Bee Championship.

Early Life and Education

Linda Richards studied at Monash University and the University of Melbourne in Australia. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1990.

She then continued her studies at the University of Melbourne. In 1995, she completed her PhD. Her research focused on how nerve cells develop in the spinal cord. Her supervisor was Perry Bartlett.

Research and Career

After her PhD, Dr. Richards worked at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in the USA. In 1997, she started her own research lab at the University of Maryland Medical School.

In 2005, she moved back to Australia. She joined the University of Queensland as an Associate Professor. She worked at the Queensland Brain Institute and the School of Biomedical Sciences. She became a full Professor there in 2010.

Since 2021, Dr. Richards has been the Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Washington University in St. Louis. She also leads the Cortical Development and Axon Guidance Laboratory. Her lab studies how the corpus callosum forms and grows. They look at how brain development works in animal models and human brain tissue.

A big part of her research is studying conditions where the corpus callosum is missing (called agenesis) or not formed correctly (called dysgenesis). These conditions affect about 1 in 4000 people. They are linked to many different health issues that people are born with.

Professional Roles

Dr. Richards has held several important roles in the scientific community:

• Chief Scientific Advisor and Patron for the Australian Disorders of the Corpus Callosum.
• Founding member of the International Brain Initiative.
• Member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the International Brain Lab.
• Former Chair of the Australian Brain Alliance.

Awards and Honours

Dr. Richards has received many awards for her important contributions to science:

• 1990: Colman Speed Award from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute. This was for being the top Honours student.
• 2004: C.J. Herrick Award from the American Association for Anatomy. This award recognizes young scientists who make big discoveries in the field of comparative neurology.
• 2010: Nina Kondelos Prize from the Australian Neuroscience Society. This was for her excellent work in basic or clinical neuroscience research.
• 2013: Equity and Diversity Award from the University of Queensland.
• 2015: Elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.
• 2016: Elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.
• 2019: Appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). This was for her great service to medical research and education in brain development, and for helping the public learn about science.
• 2020: Krieg Cortical Discoverer Award from the Cajal Club.

Publications

Dr. Richards has written over 220 scientific articles. Some of her most referenced articles include ones about the corpus callosum, how nerve cells signal, and how new brain cells can grow in adult mice.

Brain Bee Challenge

In 2006, Dr. Richards started the Australian-New Zealand Brain Bee Challenge. This is a competition for high school students who are interested in neuroscience. The main goal is to teach students and teachers about the brain. It also encourages students from smaller towns and rural areas in Australia and New Zealand to get involved in neuroscience.