Nancy Coover Andreasen facts for kids

Nancy Coover Andreasen is a well-known American scientist who studies the brain and mental health. She was born on November 11, 1938. She is a neuroscientist, meaning she studies the nervous system, and a neuropsychiatrist, which means she treats mental illnesses related to the brain. Dr. Andreasen holds an important position at the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa.

Early Life and Education

Nancy Coover Andreasen grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. She went to the University of Nebraska for her first degree. There, she studied English, History, and Philosophy. She even earned a Ph.D. in English literature. For five years, she was a professor at the University of Iowa, teaching about literature from the Renaissance period. She also wrote a book about a writer named John Donne.

A New Path in Medicine

Why Dr. Andreasen Chose Medicine

After her first daughter was born, Dr. Andreasen became very ill. This experience made her interested in medicine and how the body works. She decided to change her career path and study to become a doctor.

Becoming a Psychiatrist

She went to medical school at the University of Iowa College of Medicine and finished in 1970. By 1973, she had completed her training to become a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist is a doctor who helps people with mental health conditions.

Understanding Creativity and the Brain

In 1974, Dr. Andreasen did an important study on creativity. She found a connection between being very creative and having certain mood changes. This was one of the first modern studies to look at this link.

Studying Mental Illnesses

Early in her career, Dr. Andreasen noticed something important about mental illnesses like schizophrenia. She realized that some symptoms, called "negative symptoms," could be more difficult for people than other symptoms, like seeing or hearing things that aren't there.

• Negative symptoms mean a loss of normal brain functions. For example:
  • Alogia: Difficulty thinking or speaking clearly.
  • Blunted affect: Trouble showing emotions.
  • Avolition: Losing the ability to start activities.
  • Anhedonia: Not being able to feel joy or pleasure.

Dr. Andreasen helped the world understand these negative symptoms better. She created the first widely used scales to measure both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Because of her work, she became one of the leading experts on schizophrenia. She also helped create important guides for diagnosing mental illnesses, like the DSM III and DSM IV.

Pioneering Brain Imaging

Dr. Andreasen was a pioneer in using special brain scans to study mental illnesses. She was one of the first to use MRI scans to look at brain differences in people with schizophrenia.

She became the director of a research center at the University of Iowa. There, she led a team that developed computer programs to analyze brain images. This software, called BRAINS, helps scientists understand how the brain works and how mental illnesses affect it. In the 2000s, she also returned to her research on the neuroscience of creativity.

Awards and Recognition

National Medal of Science

In 2000, the President of the United States gave Dr. Andreasen the National Medal of Science. This is the highest award for scientific achievement in America. She received it for her amazing work in combining the study of behavior with brain imaging. This helped us understand how the mind, brain, and behavior are connected. Her work shed light on mental processes like memory and creativity, and mental illnesses like schizophrenia.

Other Important Awards

Dr. Andreasen has received many other awards. These include prizes from the Belgian Academy of Science and the American Psychiatric Association. She was also chosen to be a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine. She served as the Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Psychiatry for 13 years, which is a very important scientific journal.

Facing Challenges

Dr. Andreasen has shared that she faced unfair treatment because of her gender early in her career. She found that her articles were more likely to be published if she used only her initials instead of her full first name. This shows how determined she was to share her scientific discoveries.

Personal Life

Dr. Andreasen has two daughters. Her daughter Robin Andreasen is a professor who studies how people think. Dr. Andreasen is married to Captain Terry Gwinn, who was a military officer.