Penn Researcher Wins MacArthur Foundation 'Genius Grant'

By Mike Dougherty

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A researcher from the University of Pennsylvania was among 21 people awarded a prestigious grant Wednesday.

"It's worth $625,000."

Dr. Danielle Bassett is a genius. Don't take my word for it. The MacArthur Foundation made her the youngest recipient of this year's so-called "Genius Grant" for her work with complex systems. She is somewhat of a pioneer in the neuroscience field, applying her math and physics expertise to view the brain like a network rather than an organ.

"We calculate which parts of the brain or estimate which parts of the brain are communicating with which other parts and this creates a network so each brain region is a node in the network and then there are interactions that form the connections," Dr. Bassett said.

The 32-year-old mother says she plans to use the no-strings-attached $625,000 to gain a greater understanding of brain function, and she hopes to someday be able to help people cope with cognitive disorders like schizophrenia.

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