Misha Mahowald facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Misha Mahowald
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| Born |
Michelle Anne Mahowald
January 12, 1963 |
| Died | December 26, 1996 (aged 33) Zürich, Switzerland
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| Education | California Institute of Technology (BS, PhD) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neuroscience |
| Thesis | VLSI analogs of neuronal visual processing: a synthesis of form and function (1992) |
| Doctoral advisor | Carver Mead |
Michelle Anne Mahowald (born January 12, 1963) was a brilliant American scientist. She worked in a new field called neuromorphic engineering. This field combines biology and computer science to create systems that work like the human brain.
In 1996, Michelle was honored in the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame. This was for her amazing inventions, like the "Silicon Eye" and other smart computer systems.
Early Life and Education
Michelle Mahowald was also known as Misha. She was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her parents were Alfred and Joan Fischer Mahowald, and she had a younger sister named Sheila.
After finishing high school, Misha went to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). She earned a degree in biology in 1985. She loved learning and decided to continue her studies at Caltech.
For her PhD, she joined the Computation and Neural Systems program. Her professor, Carver Mead, was an expert in VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration). This is a way to make tiny, complex electronic circuits.
Misha created her own special project for her PhD. She combined biology, computer science, and electrical engineering. This led to her incredible invention: the silicon retina.
Amazing Discoveries
The silicon retina was a groundbreaking invention. It used tiny electronic circuits to copy how our eyes work. It mimicked the functions of rod cells and cone cells. These are the cells in your retina that help you see light and color.
This invention was very original and could be helpful for many things. For example, it showed promise as a device to help people who are blind. It was also an amazing example of combining different science fields.
Misha's work earned her a great reputation. Many people saw her as one of the most famous female engineers of her time. Her research was even called "the best attempt to date" to create a system that could see in 3D, just like humans do.
In 1992, she earned her doctorate in computational neuroscience. Her inventions, the silicon retina and the silicon neuron, were featured in famous science magazines. These included Scientific American and Nature. She also received four patents for her work. A patent protects an invention and gives the inventor rights to it. She also won the Clauser Prize for her research paper.
After Caltech, Misha moved to the University of Oxford in England. She spent a year there working with famous neuroscientists.
Later, Misha moved to Zürich, Switzerland. She helped start a new research center called the Institute of Neuroinformatics. This institute studies how brains work. It also tries to build artificial systems that can interact smartly with the real world.
Honoring Her Work
In 1996, Michelle Mahowald was honored by the Women in Technology International (WITI) Hall of Fame. This award recognized her important contributions to technology.
The Misha Mahowald Prize for Neuromorphic Engineering was created to honor her legacy. This award celebrates great achievements in the field of neuromorphic engineering. It was first given out in 2016.
