Rodolfo Llinás facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rodolfo Llinás
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| Rodolfo Llinás Riascos | |
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| Born | 16 December 1934 Bogotá, Colombia
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| Nationality | Colombian and American |
| Alma mater | Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and Australian National University |
| Known for | Physiology of the cerebellum, the thalamus, Thalamocortical dysrhythmia as well as for his pioneering work on the inferior olivary nucleus, on the squid giant synapse and on human magnetoencephalography (MEG) |
| Awards | Ralph W. Gerard Prize (2018) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neuroscience |
| Institutions | NYU School of Medicine |
| Doctoral advisor | Sir John Eccles |
Rodolfo Llinás Riascos (born December 16, 1934) is a famous neuroscientist from Colombia. A neuroscientist is a scientist who studies the brain and nervous system. He is currently a top professor of Neuroscience at the NYU School of Medicine in New York. Dr. Llinás has written over 800 scientific papers about his research.
Contents
Early Life and Inspiration
Rodolfo Llinás was born in Bogotá, Colombia. His father was a surgeon, and his mother was Bertha Riascos. He became interested in studying the brain by watching his grandfather, Pablo Llinás Olarte. His grandfather was a neuropsychiatrist, a doctor who studies mental illnesses related to the brain.
Education and Discoveries
Llinás went to medical school at the Pontifical Xavierian University in Bogotá and became a doctor in 1959. While studying, he traveled to Europe and met many scientists. He even worked with Dr. Walter Rudolf Hess, who won a Nobel Prize for his work in physiology.
He earned his PhD in 1965 from the Australian National University. There, he worked with another famous scientist, Sir John Eccles.
Personal Life and Hobbies
Rodolfo Llinás is very interested in how our minds work based on our biology. He met his wife, Gillian Kimber, who is a philosopher, while studying in Australia. His two sons, Rafael and Alexander, also became doctors.
Dr. Llinás helped create a fun science museum in Bogotá, Colombia, called Maloka Museum. In 2018, he gave a T-Rex skeleton to the museum! He also helped design a model of the dinosaur's nervous system for the exhibit.
What He Studied
Dr. Llinás has studied many parts of the brain and nervous system. He looked at how single brain cells (neurons) work in areas like the cerebellum (which helps with movement) and the thalamus (which relays sensory information).
He also studied how signals are sent between neurons in the squid giant synapse. This is a very large connection between nerve cells in squids, which is easy to study. He also used a method called magnetoencephalography (MEG) to study how the human brain works.
Important Discoveries
Dr. Llinás has made many important discoveries in neuroscience. Here are some of his key contributions:
- He found out how some brain cells can stop other cells from sending signals.
- He studied how the cerebellar cortex works and how it helps us move.
- He discovered that some brain cells can create special electrical signals using calcium.
- He helped plan a NASA project called Neurolab, which studied the brain in space.
- He found a special type of calcium channel in brain cells called the P-type calcium channel.
- He discovered that brain cells in the thalamus and inferior olive can create small, quick electrical signals.
- He helped show how magnetoencephalography (MEG) can be used to study brain function in people.
- He discovered something called Thalamocortical dysrhythmia, which is a pattern of brain activity linked to some brain disorders.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Llinás is a member of many important scientific groups. These include the United States National Academy of Sciences and the French Academy of Science. He has also received many special degrees from universities around the world.
Some of his awards include:
- The UNESCO Albert Einstein medal (1991)
- The Order of Boyaca from the President of Colombia (1992)
- The Bernard Katz Award (2012)
- The Ralph W. Gerard Prize in Neuroscience (2018), which is a very high honor in neuroscience.
In 2013, New York University started the Annual Rodolfo Llinás Lecture Series. This honors his amazing work and contributions to understanding the brain.
Filmography
- Llinas, el cerebro y el universo (Llinas, the brain and the universe). This is a documentary film about him from 2018.
See also
In Spanish: Rodolfo Llinás para niños
