DR. PAWAN SINHA
NEUROSCIENTIST
As a neuroscientist, Dr. Pawan Sinha studies the brain. Specifically, he conducts and inspires research about how our brains learn to see. This means he has to know a lot about both the visual system and the brain. He is a professor of Vision and Computational Neuroscience at MIT.
Dr. Sinha also started Project Prakash, a nonprofit which helps curably blind children in India see again. He’s able to combine the work through Project Prakash with his research, which will allow him and others to help even more children and adults in the future!
Dr. Sinha also once put a camera on his own baby’s head to see from an infant’s perspective! We loved this so much that we made a second version of his card.
Further Resources
(Some links repeat from above)
Short STEM Star Interview
Q: What was your favorite subject in K-12?
A: Biology.
Q: Did you have a favorite teacher growing up?
A: My physics teacher. She was deeply passionate about the subject and about teaching. And, she cared greatly about the students as individuals.
Q: Who inspired you growing up? Why?
A: My sister, who was three years older than me. Her intelligence and artistic talents were matched by her gentleness and compassion. She showed me by example what a selfless life looks like. She went to medical school and became a dedicated doctor. She cared so much for her patients that she neglected her own health. She passed away at the age of 25.
Q: Do you have children? What do you like about your role as a parent?
A: I have a son, who has just become a teenager. He is my favorite person to go exploring and discovering with. His wide-eyed fascination for puzzles in the natural world has helped me rediscover my own sense of wonder about questions big and small.
Q: Do you have pets or a favorite animal?
A: We had a cat (Pumpkin) whom we loved. He passed away just a few months ago. To me, Pumpkin always represented purity -- purity of affection and purity of intention.
Q: What is your favorite non-work activity, hobby, or way to relax?
A: Walking and reading (not at the same time, of course). I often walk along the Charles River in Cambridge and love seeing the play of sunshine and shadow on the ripples. It's very calming. Reading a book (especially non-fiction) helps me experience other lives and be transported to fascinating new places.
Q: What is the weather like where you live? Is there anything interesting about it?
A: I have fallen in love with Boston's weather. It can be bitterly cold in the winter, but that cold is preceded and followed by divine fall and spring. Summer has its own charm with beautiful blue skies and gentle winds from the ocean. Even winter has many incredible days; the quiet during and after a snowfall is truly something to be experienced.