Margaret Livingstone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margaret Livingstone
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | April 3, 1950 |
| Alma mater | MIT Harvard University |
| Awards |
|
| Scientific career | |
| Thesis | Monoamines in the lobster: Biochemistry, anatomy, and possible functional role (1981) |
| Doctoral advisor | Edward Kravitz |
| Doctoral students | Stephen Macknik Doris Tsao Bevil Conway |
Margaret Stratford Livingstone is a well-known scientist who studies the brain. She is a professor of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. Neurobiology is the study of the nervous system, including the brain. Dr. Livingstone focuses on how we see, which is called visual perception.
She wrote a book called Vision and Art: The Biology of Seeing. This book helps explain how our brains see and understand art. In 2015, she became a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This is a group that honors important thinkers and leaders. In 2020, she was also chosen for the National Academy of Sciences, which is a very high honor for scientists in the United States.
Contents
Margaret Livingstone's Journey in Science
Margaret Livingstone was born in Virginia in 1950. She started her college studies at Duke University. Later, she moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She earned her first degree from MIT in 1972.
Her Advanced Studies
In 1981, she earned her Ph.D. from Harvard University. A Ph.D. is a very advanced degree that shows someone is an expert in their field. After her Ph.D., she worked at Princeton University. Then, she joined David H. Hubel at Harvard University as a postdoctoral fellow. This means she continued her research and learning after her Ph.D.
Becoming a Professor
In 1983, Dr. Livingstone became an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. She was promoted to a full professor in 1988. In 2014, she was named the Takeda Professor of Neurobiology. This special title recognizes her important work in brain science.
How We See: Dr. Livingstone's Research
Dr. Livingstone's research helps us understand how our brains process what we see. She has studied how different animals' brains work.
Early Discoveries
Her early work looked at special brain cells called neurons. She studied how these neurons respond to a chemical called serotonin. She did this research using lobsters to learn more about how brains work.
Understanding Vision
Later, she studied how cats and monkeys see. She also looked at how primates, like monkeys and humans, see colors. Her research has taught us a lot about how mammals see shapes and movement. It also helps explain why some people have dyslexia, a condition that affects reading. She also studies the part of the brain that helps us recognize faces.
Awards and Special Honors
Dr. Livingstone has received many awards for her important scientific work.
Major Recognitions
In 2011, the Society for Neuroscience gave her the Mika Salpeter Lifetime Achievement Award. This award celebrates scientists who have made big contributions throughout their careers. As mentioned earlier, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2015. In 2020, she joined the United States' National Academy of Sciences.
Recent Achievements
In 2024, she shared the Rosenstiel Award with three other scientists: Winrich Freiwald, Nancy Kanwisher, and Doris Tsao. They received this award for their amazing work on how the brains of humans and other primates recognize faces.
