Myrna Gopnik facts for kids
Myrna Lee Gopnik, born in 1935, is a Canadian linguist. A linguist is a scientist who studies language. She used to be a professor at McGill University in Canada. She is well-known for her research on a special English family called the KE family. Many members of this family had a condition that made it hard for them to speak and understand language. This is called specific language impairment.
What Did Myrna Gopnik Study?
Myrna Gopnik was one of the first people to study the KE family very carefully. She helped other scientists learn about this family's unique language challenges. Her work made the KE family famous in the scientific world.
The FOXP2 Gene Discovery
After Myrna Gopnik's early research, other scientists continued to study the KE family. Researchers like Anthony Monaco and Simon Fisher from the University of Oxford made a big discovery. They found that a small change, called a mutation, in a gene named FOXP2 was causing the language problems in the KE family. The FOXP2 gene is very important for how humans develop speech and language.
Her Family Life
Myrna Gopnik is married to Irwin Gopnik, who is an English professor. They have six children together. Some of their children are also very successful in their own fields.
Notable Children
- Alison Gopnik is a professor of developmental psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. She studies how children learn and grow.
- Adam Gopnik is a well-known writer and novelist. He writes for a famous magazine called The New Yorker.
- Blake Gopnik is an art critic. He writes about art and artists.
