Michal Rivlin facts for kids

Michal Rivlin is a top scientist who studies the brain. She works at the Weizmann Institute of Science and holds a special position in Neurobiology. Neurobiology is the study of the nervous system, including the brain and nerves.

In 2019, she won the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists. This award recognized her amazing work. She studies how the retina works. The retina is the part at the back of your eye that senses light.

Early Life and Learning

Michal Rivlin was born in Jerusalem. Before going to university, she served in the Sar-El program. This program helps the Israeli army.

She then studied mathematics and computer science. She went to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She finished her first degree in 2001.

After that, she continued her studies. She went to a special center for brain research. She earned her advanced degree in 2009.

Later, she moved to the University of California, Berkeley in the United States. There, she did more research. She worked with another scientist named Marla Feller.

During this time, she made an important discovery. She found that cells in the retina can change how they react. These cells are called retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). For example, some RGCs sense direction. They can change the direction they prefer after a short light flash. Other RGCs sense light. They can change how they react when light gets brighter or dimmer.

Research and Work

In 2013, Dr. Rivlin joined the Weizmann Institute of Science. She leads a lab there. Her lab studies how the retina processes information.

She wants to understand how brain cells understand signals from the retina. These signals are always changing. She studies how the brain uses this changing information. This helps us see a clear picture of the world.

Dr. Rivlin uses special tools in her research. These include advanced microscopes and ways to measure electrical signals. She also uses methods to study how genes affect the brain.

Dr. Rivlin believes the retina can help find diseases early. She thinks it can help diagnose brain diseases. These include diseases like Parkinson's disease.

People with Parkinson's disease often have less dopamine in their retina. Dopamine is a chemical messenger in the brain. Dr. Rivlin studies how the retina reacts to different dopamine levels. This could help doctors find Parkinson's earlier.

She also studies Alzheimer's disease. People with Alzheimer's lose a chemical called acetylcholine. This can also affect the retina. People with Alzheimer's may lose retina cells.

Dr. Rivlin thinks that by studying certain retina cells, doctors could measure acetylcholine levels. This might help diagnose Alzheimer's disease at an early stage.

In 2019, Dr. Rivlin received a big award. It was the Israel Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists. She won it for her work in life sciences.

Personal Life

Michal Rivlin is married to Yedidya Etzion. He is a school principal. They have four children together.