Torsten Wiesel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Torsten Wiesel
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Wiesel in 2010
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| 7th President of Rockefeller University | |
| In office 1991–1998 |
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| Preceded by | David Baltimore |
| Succeeded by | Arnold J. Levine |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Torsten Nils Wiesel
3 June 1924 Uppsala, Sweden |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | Karolinska Institute |
| Known for | Visual system |
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| Scientific career | |
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Torsten Nils Wiesel (born 3 June 1924) is a Swedish scientist who studies the brain and nervous system. He is known for his important work on how our visual system (our eyes and brain) processes what we see.
In 1981, he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine along with David H. Hubel. They received the award for their discoveries about how the brain handles information from our eyes. Another scientist, Roger W. Sperry, also shared the prize for his research on how the two halves of the brain work.
Contents
A Scientist's Journey
Torsten Wiesel was born in Uppsala, Sweden, in 1924. He was the youngest of five children. He started his science career in 1947 at the Karolinska Institute, where he earned his medical degree in 1954.
In 1955, Wiesel moved to the United States to work at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. There, he met David Hubel in 1958. This meeting started a partnership that lasted more than 20 years.
Working at Top Universities
In 1959, Wiesel and Hubel moved to Harvard University. Wiesel worked there for 24 years, becoming a professor in the new department of neurobiology in 1968.
Later, in 1983, Wiesel joined Rockefeller University. He became the president of the university from 1991 to 1998. He still works there today, helping to lead a center that studies the mind, brain, and behavior.
Global Science Leadership
Torsten Wiesel has also played a big role in international science. From 2000 to 2009, he was the Secretary-General of the Human Frontier Science Program. This group helps scientists from different countries work together on life science research.
He has also helped guide science in other places, like China's National Institute of Biological Science and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology in Japan. He has been a leader in many important science organizations, like the Society for Neuroscience.
Understanding How We See
Torsten Wiesel and David Hubel did amazing experiments that helped us understand how our brains process what we see.
How Brain Cells See Lines and Movement
In one experiment in 1959, they placed a tiny electrode (a small wire) into the brain of an animal. They then showed patterns of light and dark lines on a screen. They discovered that some brain cells (called neurons) would get very active when they saw lines at a certain angle. Other cells responded best to lines moving in a specific direction.
They called these cells "simple cells" and "complex cells." Their work showed how our visual system builds up a picture from simple shapes and movements into more detailed images.
How Vision Develops in Children
Wiesel and Hubel also won the Nobel Prize for their work on "ocular dominance columns." These are special areas in the brain that receive information from each eye.
They found that if a young animal couldn't use one eye, the brain areas meant for that eye would be taken over by the other eye. This showed that the brain needs to receive proper signals from both eyes early in life for vision to develop correctly. If not, problems like lazy eye (strabismus) or cataracts in children can cause lasting vision issues. Their discoveries helped doctors understand and treat these conditions better. This research also showed how flexible and adaptable our brains are, a concept called brain plasticity.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Torsten Wiesel has received many awards and honors for his important work. He is a member of several respected science academies around the world.
- Honorary degree, University of Pavia in 2006.
- Order of the Rising Sun, Grand Cordon, 2009 (Japan).
- Honorary Doctoral Degree in Science, University of Cambodia in 2010
- Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1981
- Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University, in 1978
- Elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1967
- Dr. Jules C. Stein Award in 1971
- Ferrier Medal and Lecture from the Royal Society in 1971
- Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award in 1972
- Freidenwald Award in 1975
- Karl Spencer Lashley Award in 1977
- Ledlie Prize in 1980
- Elected a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1980
- Elected a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1982
- Elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society (ForMemRS) in 1982
- W.H. Helmerich III Award in 1989
- Ralph W. Gerard Prize in Neuroscience in 1993
- Helen Keller Prize for Vision Research in 1996
- Presidential Award in 1998
- David Rall Medal in 2005
- National Medal of Science in 2005 (US).
- Marshall M. Parks MD Medal of Excellence in 2007
In 2005, Wiesel was one of eight people to receive the National Medal of Science in the United States. In 2006, he received the Ramon Y Cajal Gold Medal from Spain.
Personal Life
Torsten Wiesel is married to Lizette Mususa Reyes. He has one daughter, Sara Elisabeth, who was born in 1975.
Wiesel celebrated his 100th birthday on June 3, 2024.
Helping Human Rights
Beyond his science, Wiesel has worked hard to support human rights around the world. For 10 years, he led the Committee of Human Rights for the National Academies of Science in the US. He also worked with an international group that helps protect the rights of scientists and scholars.
In 2005, he received the David Rall Medal for this important work. In 2009, he was given the Grand Cordon Order of the Rising Sun Medal in Japan.
He also helped start the Israeli-Palestinian Science Organization in 2004. This group helps scientists from Israel and Palestine work together on research projects.
See also
In Spanish: Torsten Wiesel para niños
- Neocognitron
