Three pioneers of neuroplasticity research discuss the present and future of rewiring the brain

neuroplasticity-A DISCUSSION WITH EVE MARDER, MICHAEL MERZENICH AND CARLA SHATZ (2016 KAVLI PRIZE IN NEUROSCIENCE):

Our view of the brain as some­thing con­stant­ly shaped by thought and expe­ri­ence is only a few decades old, yet it has pro­found­ly influ­enced how we teach and treat, raise our young and care for the old.

Eve Marder, Michael Merzenich and Car­la Shatz are three researchers who, in very dif­fer­ent ways, have revealed that the brain is high­ly change­able, or plas­tic. In the course of dis­cov­er­ing how the struc­ture and func­tion of brain cir­cuits are refined, they pio­neered the field of neuroplasticity…

Their work has revealed that brain cir­cuits are “sculpt­ed” from long before birth through adult­hood. They have also helped explain how the brain achieves such a fine bal­ance – between the adapt­abil­i­ty that allows us to learn and to heal and the sta­bil­i­ty that main­tains our abil­i­ties and mem­o­ries for a lifetime.

In a round­table, the three lau­re­ates dis­cussed how their work dis­rupt­ed a cen­tral dog­ma of neu­ro­science and offers the promise of plas­tic­i­ty-based therapeutics.”

Read the con­ver­sa­tion here.

To learn more:

About SharpBrains

SHARPBRAINS is an independent think-tank and consulting firm providing services at the frontier of applied neuroscience, health, leadership and innovation.
SHARPBRAINS es un think-tank y consultoría independiente proporcionando servicios para la neurociencia aplicada, salud, liderazgo e innovación.

Top Articles on Brain Health and Neuroplasticity

Top 10 Brain Teasers and Illusions

Newsletter

Subscribe to our e-newsletter

* indicates required

Got the book?