kids encyclopedia robot

Molly Shoichet facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Molly Sandra Shoichet

Born 1965 (age 59–60)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Education University of Massachusetts Amherst 1992, Ph.D. in polymer science and engineering
Alma mater Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Awards
Scientific career
Fields Biomedical Engineering, drug delivery, tissue regeneration
Institutions University of Toronto, Cytotherapeutics, Inc., Brown University

Molly S. Shoichet FRS is a brilliant Canadian scientist and professor. She is known for her amazing work in chemistry, especially with materials that can help our bodies heal. She was even the first Chief Scientist for the province of Ontario! Dr. Shoichet is a biomedical engineer, which means she uses engineering ideas to solve problems in medicine and biology. She is famous for her work in tissue engineering, which involves creating new tissues to replace damaged ones. She is also the only person to be a member of all three National Academies in Canada.

Education and Early Career

Molly Shoichet loved science from a young age. She studied chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of the best schools in the world, and earned her first degree in 1987. She then continued her studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she earned her PhD in polymer science and engineering in 1992. Polymers are like plastics, and they are used in many things, including medicine.

After finishing her PhD, Dr. Shoichet started working as a professor at Brown University. At the same time, she also worked in the science industry. In 1995, she joined the University of Toronto, where she still works today.

Amazing Science Work

Dr. Shoichet's research focuses on how to deliver medicines to specific parts of the body and how to help damaged body tissues grow back.

Delivering Medicine to the Brain

Early in her career, she studied the blood–brain barrier. This is like a protective shield around our brain that stops many things, including medicines, from getting in. Her lab found a clever way to get around this barrier. They use a special gel to deliver drugs directly to the brain or spinal cord. This method can help deliver important medicines, like those used in chemotherapy for cancer, or drugs that can help people recover from a stroke.

Helping Tissues Grow Back

Dr. Shoichet's team also uses these special gels, called hydrogels, to deliver stem cells. Stem cells are like "blank" cells that can turn into different types of cells in the body. For example, they are studying how hydrogels can deliver stem cells to help fix damaged retinas in the eye. These hydrogels are designed to be easy to inject into the body. Once inside, they form a kind of scaffold or framework that helps new cells grow in the right shape.

Sharing Science with Everyone

Dr. Shoichet believes that science should be easy for everyone to understand. In 2015, she helped start a project called Research2Reality. This project shares exciting scientific research happening in Canada through simple blog posts and short videos. She also helped create an "Artful Science" exhibit at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, showing how science and art can connect.

Ontario's First Chief Scientist

In November 2017, Dr. Shoichet was chosen to be Ontario's first Chief Scientist. This was a very important job! She led a team that worked to connect the government, scientists, and businesses. Her goal was to make sure that important decisions were made using the best scientific information available. Her time in this role ended in July 2018.

Awards and Honours

Dr. Shoichet has received many awards for her amazing contributions to science.

  • In 2010, she was given the Order of Ontario, a high honour in her home province.
  • In 2015, she won the L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science for North America. This award recognized her work on helping nerve tissue regenerate and her new ways of delivering drugs to the brain and spinal cord. She also speaks up for women in science and encourages more women to become professors.
  • The University of Toronto named her a "University Professor" in 2014, which is a very special title.
  • She is the only person to be a member of all three National Academies in Canada, which shows how respected she is in different fields of science.
  • In 2017, she won the Killam Prize for engineering, one of Canada's top awards for researchers.
  • In 2018, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada (OC), which is one of the highest honours a Canadian citizen can receive.
  • In 2020, she won the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering. This is Canada's highest award for science and engineering research.

Other Recognitions

  • Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2013)
  • Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013)
  • Fellow, Canadian Academy of Sciences of the Royal Society of Canada
  • Fellow, Canadian Academy of Engineering
  • Fellow, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
  • Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) Senior Scientist Award (2014)
  • Fellow, Royal Society UK

Personal Life

Molly Shoichet's brother, Brian Shoichet, is also a professor at the University of California, San Francisco. It seems that a love for science runs in their family!

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Molly Shoichet para niños

kids search engine
Molly Shoichet Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.