Sheila Nirenberg
Sheila Nirenberg is an American neuroscientist. She works in the field of neural coding, developing new kinds of prosthetic devices that can communicate directly with the brain,[2] and new kinds of smart robots.[3] She is a recipient of a MacArthur “genius” award[4][5] and has been the subject of, or featured in, several documentaries for her technology for treating blindness.[6][7][8]
Sheila Nirenberg | |
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Alma mater | SUNY Albany Harvard University |
Awards | MacArthur Award, Beckman Young Investigators Award,[1] TED Talk, NYC BioAccelerate Prize |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Neuroscience |
Institutions | Cornell University |
Website | physiology |
External video | |
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She is currently a professor at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University,[9] and the founder of two startup companies, Bionic Sight LLC (prosthetic devices)[10] and Nirenberg Neuroscience LLC (smart robots, AI).[11]
Early life and education
Nirenberg grew up in Westchester, United States. She attended the University of Albany where she gained a BA in psychology with a minor in English.[12][13] She then undertook a PhD at Harvard University where she worked with Constance Cepko. Nirenberg's project focused on developing a new technique to kill specific cell types in the retina in order to understand their function.[12]
Research career
Nirenberg stayed at Harvard University for her postdoctoral work before moving to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) where she was assistant professor for six years.[12]
References
- Guerrero, Russell (March 21, 2014). "Talking to the brain in its own language". Trinity University. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- Brumfiel, Geoff (13 August 2012). "Prosthetic retina helps to restore sight in mice". Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2012.11164. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- "Sheila Nirenberg Going from scientist to entrepreneur: things that are useful to know". IEEE SMC 2017. October 6, 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- Benson, Barbara. "New Yorker trying cure blindness wins 'genius' prize". crainsnewyork.com.
- Lee, Felicia R. (24 September 2013). "24 Recipients of MacArthur 'Genius' Awards Named". The New York Times.
- "The code that may treat blindness". BBC News. 12 November 2014.
- Grobart, Sam; Jeffries, Alan (5 April 2016). "This Bionic Eye Could Cure Blindness". Bloomberg.
- "Sight - The Story of Vision". storyofsight.com.
- "Nirenberg Lab Website". Cornell University.
- Mullin, Emily (February 15, 2017). "Companies Plan Tests of "Optogenetic Goggles" to Restore Sight". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
- "Homepage". Nirenberg Neruoscience, LLC.
- Talan, Jamie (2013-11-07). "BEHIND THE BENCH: What MacArthur Awardee Sheila Nirenberg Is Doing to Help Blind People See". Neurology Today. 13 (21): 24. doi:10.1097/01.NT.0000438149.22688.f0. ISSN 1533-7006.
- "UAlbany Psychology Department Alumna Awarded Prestigious MacArthur Fellowship for Pioneering Work in Neuroscience - College of Arts & Sciences - University at Albany-SUNY". www.albany.edu. Retrieved 2020-03-22.