Ivanka Savic

Last updated
Ivanka Savic
Born (1953-12-27) December 27, 1953 (age 69)
Belgrade, Serbia
Nationality Swedish
Alma mater Karolinska Institute
Upsala University
Scientific career
Fields Neurology, Neurophysiology
InstitutionsKarolinska Institute
University of California, Los Angeles

Ivanka Savic Berglund (born 1953) is a Serbian-Swedish neuroscientist, a professor of neurology and chief physician at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, and an adjunct professor in the neurology department at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). [1] [2] [3] [4] Savic is best known for her neurophysiology and neuroimaging research relating to epilepsy, sex differences, sexual orientation, gender identity, brain processing of odors and pheromones, and the effects of chronic stress on the brain. Savic is a co-founder of the Stockholm Brain Institute and the editor of several medical books. [1]

Contents

Education and career

Savic was born in Belgrade, Serbia in 1953 to a family of high ranking military officers and academics. She began her medical studies at Uppsala University in Sweden, graduated as a doctor at Karolinska Institute (KI) in 1978 and became a certified doctor in 1980. [1] In 1984 she became a specialist in neurology and in 1991 in clinical neurophysiology. Savic received her PhD doctorate in 1992. In 1994–1996, she worked in a post doctoral position with Jerome Engel at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), which became a long standing collaboration.

In 1996, Savic returned to research at the Karolinska Institute, where she became an associate professor in 1999. The same year, she became chief physician at Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge. In 1997–2003, she had a research assistant and a research position at the Swedish Research Council. In 2003–2009, she held an "elite position" as a research group leader at the Karolinska Institute. She was appointed professor of neurology in 2013 with a special focus on gender differences at Karolinska Institute, combined with a position as chief physician at Karolinska University Hospital. [1] In 2016 she became an adjunct professor at UCLA. [5]

Savic is a co-founder and member of the Stockholm Brain Institute's executive committee. [1] She is the editor and co-editor of two educational medical books on sex differences in the human brain, their underlying mechanisms and clinical implications. [6] [7]

Scientific research

MRI scans of the human brain are a key technology in Savic's research. Parasagittal MRI of human head in patient with benign familial macrocephaly prior to brain injury (ANIMATED).gif
MRI scans of the human brain are a key technology in Savic's research.

Epilepsy

During her doctoral thesis, Savic investigated the GABA benzodiazepine receptor's role in temporal lobe epilepsy and helped to develop a new and internationally used method to pre-surgically diagnose the epileptogenic region. [2] [1]

Pheromone and odour processing

Savic was the first scientist to show that humans process pheromone stimuli in the brain, differently from other odours, and in a sexually differentiated manner. [8] [1]

Sexual orientation

Savic has carried out neuroimaging research to compare the brain structure of homosexual and heterosexual men and women. In 2008 Savic found both male and female homosexual persons in her samples had brain activation with pheromones, and amygdala's connections which resembled those of the opposite sex, i.e. gay men had a female-typical pattern, while lesbians had male-typical pattern. [4] [9] [10] Neuroscientist Simon LeVay included her research in his book Gay, Straight, and the Reason Why, and discusses its relevance to other neuroscience research related to sexual orientation. [4] : 112 

Savic and her colleagues also carried out research on brain activity in gay and straight men in response to "putative human pheromones". [4] : 115–116 

Later research Savic carried out in 2018 and 2019 suggests that male homosexuality may be related to cerebral midline structures of the brain, which were not found in her sample of heterosexual females or males. [11] [12] [13]

Gender identity

Savic has also studied the brains of transgender people. Her research suggests that transgender men and women have weaker connections between the two areas of the brain that process the perception of self and one's own body compared to cisgender persons. Savic has said these connections seem to improve after the person receives cross-hormone treatment. [3] Savic has co-authored papers with the dutch neuroscientist Dick Swaab on the brain structure of transsexual and transgender people. [14]

Publications

Books

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heterosexuality</span> Attraction between people of the opposite sex or gender

Heterosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior between people of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to people of the opposite sex; it "also refers to a person's sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions." Someone who is heterosexual is commonly referred to as straight.

Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms. Methods that have been used to this end include forms of brain surgery, surgical or hormonal castration, aversive treatments such as electric shocks, nausea-inducing drugs, hypnosis, counseling, spiritual interventions, visualization, psychoanalysis, and arousal reconditioning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual orientation</span> Pattern of romantic or sexual attraction

Sexual orientation is an enduring personal pattern of romantic attraction or sexual attraction to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. Patterns are generally categorized under heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality, while asexuality is sometimes identified as the fourth category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biology and sexual orientation</span> Field of sexual orientation research

The relationship between biology and sexual orientation is a subject of on-going research. While scientists do not know the exact cause of sexual orientation, they theorize that it is caused by a complex interplay of genetic, hormonal, and environmental influences. Hypotheses for the impact of the post-natal social environment on sexual orientation, however, are weak, especially for males.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homosexuality and psychology</span> Homosexuality as viewed by the field of psychology

The field of psychology has extensively studied homosexuality as a human sexual orientation. The American Psychiatric Association listed homosexuality in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1952, but that classification came under scrutiny in research funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. That research and subsequent studies consistently failed to produce any empirical or scientific basis for regarding homosexuality as anything other than a natural and normal sexual orientation that is a healthy and positive expression of human sexuality. As a result of this scientific research, the American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973. Upon a thorough review of the scientific data, the American Psychological Association followed in 1975 and also called on all mental health professionals to take the lead in "removing the stigma of mental illness that has long been associated" with homosexuality. In 1993, the National Association of Social Workers adopted the same position as the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association, in recognition of scientific evidence. The World Health Organization, which listed homosexuality in the ICD-9 in 1977, removed homosexuality from the ICD-10 which was endorsed by the 43rd World Health Assembly on 17 May 1990.

The "gay bomb" refers to a non-lethal psychochemical weapon concept that was speculated upon by a research laboratory within the United States Air Force. This unconventional idea involved the dispersion of sex pheromones over enemy forces, with the intent of generating mutual sexual attraction among them causing mass confusion and panic within their platoons.

A sexual minority is a group whose sexual identity, orientation or practices differ from the majority of the surrounding society. Primarily used to refer to lesbian, gay, bisexual, or non-heterosexual individuals, it can also refer to transgender, non-binary or intersex individuals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Androphilia and gynephilia</span> Sexual orientation to men or women

Androphilia and gynephilia are terms used in behavioral science to describe sexual orientation, as an alternative to a gender binary homosexual and heterosexual conceptualization. Androphilia describes sexual attraction to men and/or masculinity; gynephilia describes the sexual attraction to women and/or femininity. Ambiphilia describes the combination of both androphilia and gynephilia in a given individual, or bisexuality.

INAH-3 is the short form for the third interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus, and is the sexually dimorphic nucleus of humans. The INAH-3 is significantly larger in males than in females regardless of age and larger in heterosexual males than in homosexual males and heterosexual females.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homosexuality</span> Sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender

Homosexuality is a sexual attraction, romantic attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" exclusively to people of the same sex or gender. It "also refers to a person's sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions."

American-Canadian sexologist Ray Blanchard proposed a psychological typology of gender dysphoria, transsexualism, and fetishistic transvestism in a series of academic papers through the 1980s and 1990s. Building on the work of earlier researchers, including his colleague Kurt Freund, Blanchard categorized trans women into two groups: homosexual transsexuals who are attracted exclusively to men and are feminine in both behavior and appearance; and autogynephilic transsexuals who experience sexual arousal at the idea of having a female body (autogynephilia). Blanchard and his supporters argue that the typology explains differences between the two groups in childhood gender nonconformity, sexual orientation, history of sexual fetishism, and age of transition.

Gender incongruence is the state of having a gender identity that does not correspond to one's sex assigned at birth. This is experienced by people who identify as transgender or transsexual, and often results in gender dysphoria. The causes of gender incongruence have been studied for decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Questioning (sexuality and gender)</span> Process of self-exploration

The questioning of one's sexual orientation, sexual identity, gender, or all three is a process of exploration by people who may be unsure, still exploring, or concerned about applying a social label to themselves for various reasons. The letter "Q" is sometimes added to the end of the acronym LGBT ; the "Q" can refer to either queer or questioning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environment and sexual orientation</span> Field of sexual orientation research

The relationship between the environment and sexual orientation is a subject of research. In the study of sexual orientation, some researchers distinguish environmental influences from hormonal influences, while other researchers include biological influences such as prenatal hormones as part of environmental influences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neuroscience and sexual orientation</span> Mechanisms of sexual orientation development in humans

Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender, or none of the aforementioned at all. The ultimate causes and mechanisms of sexual orientation development in humans remain unclear and many theories are speculative and controversial. However, advances in neuroscience explain and illustrate characteristics linked to sexual orientation. Studies have explored structural neural-correlates, functional and/or cognitive relationships, and developmental theories relating to sexual orientation in humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transsexual</span> People experiencing a gender identity inconsistent with their assigned sex

Transsexual people experience a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex, and desire to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance to help them align their body with their identified sex or gender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT demographics of the United States</span> Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population

The demographics of sexual orientation and gender identity in the United States have been studied in the social sciences in recent decades. A 2022 Gallup poll concluded that 7.1% of adult Americans identified as LGBT. A different survey in 2016, from the Williams Institute, estimated that 0.6% of U.S. adults identify as transgender. As of 2022, estimates for the total percentage of U.S. adults that are transgender or nonbinary range from 0.5% to 1.6%. Additionally, a Pew Research survey from 2022 found that approximately 5% of young adults in the U.S. say their gender is different from their sex assigned at birth.

<i>The Sexual Brain</i> 1993 book by Simon LeVay

The Sexual Brain is a 1993 book about brain mechanisms involved in sexual behavior and feelings, and related topics such as sexual orientation, by the neuroscientist Simon LeVay. The book was praised as a well-written work on science. However, some reviewers pointed out factual errors, and noted that LeVay failed to prove that homosexuality has a biological basis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of LGBT topics</span> Overview of and topical guide to LGBT topics

The following outline offers an overview and guide to LGBT topics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT chemicals conspiracy theory</span> Anti-LGBT conspiracy theory

Beginning in the 2010s, various media personalities promoted conspiracy theories claiming that exposure to endocrine disrupting chemical pollutants in the water supply are responsible for an alleged increase in the gay or transgender population. These claims are not supported by scientific evidence, and have been described as anti-LGBT rhetoric.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Anders Nilsson (2013). "Neurobiologiska skillnader mellan könen" [Neurobiological differences between the sexes]. Från cell till samhälle (in Swedish). Karolinska Institutet. pp. 44–45. Retrieved 2020-08-24– via Issuu. "I was born in Belgrade in 1953".
  2. 1 2 "Ivanka Savic Berglund | Medarbetare". staff.ki.se. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  3. 1 2 Nicholson, Lucy (2017). "Researchers explore the science of gender identity". NBC News.
  4. 1 2 3 4 LeVay, Simon (2017). Gay, Straight, and the Reason Why: The Science of Sexual Orientation (second ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-029737-4.
  5. ↑ Lisboa, Margarida Vieira (2017). "Scientific Lectures | Ivanka Savic-Berglund MD PhD". FRONTAL (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  6. ↑ Savic, Ivanka, ed. (2010). "Sex Differences in Neurology and Psychiatry, Volume 175 - 1st Edition". www.elsevier.com. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  7. ↑ Savic, Ivanka, ed. (2010). "Sex Differences in the Human Brain, their Underpinnings and Implications, Volume 186 - 1st Edition". www.elsevier.com (1st ed.). Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  8. ↑ Sobel, N.; Brown, W. M. (2001-08-30). "The Scented Brain: Pheromonal Responses in Humans". Neuron. 31 (4): 512–514. doi: 10.1016/S0896-6273(01)00406-8 . ISSN   0896-6273. PMID   11545709.
  9. ↑ Coghlan, Andy. "Gay brains structured like those of the opposite sex". New Scientist. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  10. ↑ Berglund, Hans; Lindström, Per; Savic, Ivanka (2006-05-23). "Brain response to putative pheromones in lesbian women". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 103 (21): 8269–8274. Bibcode:2006PNAS..103.8269B. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0600331103 . ISSN   0027-8424. PMC   1570103 . PMID   16705035.
  11. ↑ Manzouri, Amirhossein; Savic, Ivanka (2018-10-02). "Multimodal MRI suggests that male homosexuality may be linked to cerebral midline structures". PLOS ONE. 13 (10): e0203189. Bibcode:2018PLoSO..1303189M. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203189 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   6168246 . PMID   30278046.
  12. ↑ Manzouri, A.; Savic, I. (2019-05-01). "Possible Neurobiological Underpinnings of Homosexuality and Gender Dysphoria". Cerebral Cortex. 29 (5): 2084–2101. doi:10.1093/cercor/bhy090. ISSN   1047-3211. PMC   6677918 . PMID   30084980.
  13. ↑ Fausto-Sterling, Anne (2019-03-15). "Gender/Sex, Sexual Orientation, and Identity Are in the Body: How Did They Get There?". The Journal of Sex Research. 56 (4–5): 529–555. doi:10.1080/00224499.2019.1581883. PMID   30875248. S2CID   80624574.
  14. ↑ Williams, Shawna (1 March 2018). "Are the Brains of Transgender People Different from Those of Cisgender People?". The Scientist Magazine®. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
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