Michael Merzenich

Born in Lebanon, Oregon in 1942,{{cite web

| title = Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions: Michael M. Merzenich.

| work = PsycARTICLES: Citation and Abstract

| publisher = American Psychologist. Vol 56(11), Nov 2001, 878–881.

| date =

| url = http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=main.doiLanding&uid=2001-10248-003

| accessdate =2009-01-02 }} This is an article which requires purchase

A Childhood in the Sticks, author MM Merzenich Merzenich grew up fascinated by science. He attended the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon earning his Bachelor of Science in 1964. Here, he was valedictorian, receiving only one non-A, a C in a philosophy course in which he argued with the instructor. In 1968 he earned his PhD in Physiology at Johns Hopkins Medical School in the lab of Vernon Mountcastle, studying neural coding of stimulus magnitude in the hairy skin.Exp. Brain Res. 10:251-64 1970 He left Johns Hopkins to conduct his postdoctoral studies at the University of Wisconsin under Jerzy Rose. There, he did a cross-species analysis of the cochlear nucleus in large game cats and pinnipeds, did the first auditory cortical microelectrode maps in the macaque with John Brugge, and the first somatosensory maps in the macaque with neurosurgeon Ron Paul. He earned his neurophysiology fellowship between 1968 and 1971. He left Wisconsin to join the faculty at UCSF as the only basic scientist in the clinical Otolaryngology department, head and neck surgery.{{cite web|title=OHNS – Faculty Profiles |work=Faculty profiles |year=2003 |url=http://ohns.ucsf.edu/aboutus/profile_details.asp?ProfileId=13 |accessdate=2009-01-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080930085810/http://ohns.ucsf.edu/aboutus/profile_details.asp?ProfileId=13 |archivedate=September 30, 2008 }}

[http://otolaryngology.ucsf.edu/research/ OHNS at UCSF] Merzenich started with UCSF in 1971 as faculty member becoming full professor in 1980. Merzenich was Co-Director at the Coleman Memorial Laboratory where he conducted research on the cerebral cortex. He was also the Francis A. Sooy Chair of Otolaryngology, in the Keck Center for Integrative Neurosciences at UCSF. His research examines neurological illness, learning processes and the neurological processes of the cerebral cortex. He remains in the same department, now as a professor emeritus, retiring in 2007.

Merzenich has collaborated in numerous studies researching brain plasticity. In February 2004, Merzenich gave a TED talk titled [https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_merzenich_on_the_elastic_brain?language=en “Growing evidence of brain plasticity”] which outlines the basic findings of his research.

{{cite web

|title=Michael Merzenich: Growing evidence of brain plasticity

|url=https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_merzenich_on_the_elastic_brain?language=en|website=TED

| date=28 April 2009 |publisher=TED Conferences LLC

|access-date=2016-02-19}} Merzenich has helped to identify two distinct periods of brain plasticity: The Critical Period and the period of Adult Plasticity. The Infant Critical Period is when a child’s brain establishes neural processes for the stimuli to which it is presented. The Adult Plasticity period is when the brain refines its neural processes as it masters a variety of tasks.{{cite journal

|last1=Merzenich

|first1=M.

|last2=Jenkins

|first2=W.M.

|title=Cortical plasticity, learning, and learning dysfunction.

|journal=Maturational Windows and Adult Cortical Plasticity

|date=1995

|volume=23

|pages=247–271

}}

Understanding how the brain can re-wire itself has allowed Merzenich, Tallal, and other colleagues to develop strategies intended to remediate individuals with any speech, language, and reading deficits.{{cite journal

|last1=Merzenich

|first1=M.

|last2=Tallal

|first2=P.

|last3=Peterson

|first3=B.

|last4=Miller

|first4=S.L.

|last5=Jenkins

|first5=W.M.

|title=Some neurological principles relevant to the origins of - and the cortical plasticity based remediation of - language learning impairments

|journal=Neuroplasticity: Building a Bridge from the Laboratory to the Clinic

|date=1999

|pages=169–187

|doi=10.1007/978-3-642-59897-5_12

}} Through research in experience dependent learning with non-human primates, neurophysiologists including Merzenich have demonstrated that neuroplasticity remains through adulthood.{{cite journal

|last1=Merzenich

|first1=M.M.

|last2=Jenkins

|first2=W.M.

|last3=Johnston

|first3=P.

|last4=Schreiner

|first4=C.

|last5=Miller

|first5=S.L.

|last6=Tallal

|first6=P.

|title=Temporal processing deficits of language-learning impaired children ameliorated by training

|journal=Science

|date=1996

|volume=111

|issue=5245

|pages=77–81

|doi=10.1126/science.271.5245.77

|pmid=8539603

|bibcode=1996Sci...271...77M

|s2cid=24141773

}}

Further studies with monkeys suggested that the Hebbian learning principles that drive neuroplasticity can be used to treat learning-language impaired children.

Dr. James T. Todd, a professor of psychology, has criticized Michael Merzenich for using the term "miraculous" to describe evidence allegedly supporting the rapid prompting method, claiming that scientific outliers are hard to analyze in the laboratory and replicate. Todd says that it is always important to question scientific outliers.{{cite book |last=Todd |first=James T. |title=Controversial Therapies for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities: Fad, Fashion, and Science in Professional Practice |date=2015 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-62383-0 |page=375 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HY29CgAAQBAJ |accessdate=8 July 2019 |language=en}}

In May 1999, Merzenich was honored by election into the National Academy of Sciences for his research on brain plasticity.{{cite web

| title = Michael M. Merzenich Profile - Forbes.com

| work = Forbes

| year = 2008

| url = https://people.forbes.com/profile/michael-m-merzenich/70496

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081017074025/http://people.forbes.com/profile/michael-m-merzenich/70496

| url-status = dead

| archive-date = October 17, 2008

| doi =

| accessdate =2009-01-02 }}

He went on to be elected to the National Academy's Institute of Medicine in 2008, making him one of a very select few to have been elected to more than one of the National Academies.[http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news-1/Merzenich-Elected-to-Institute-of-Medicine-27287-1/] http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news-1/Merzenich-Elected-to-Institute-of-Medicine-27287-1/

As of 2001, he received the Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions. He has been awarded the International Ipsen Prize,

• Zülch Prize of the Max-Planck Institute,

• Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award,

• The Purkinje Medal, and

• Karl Spencer Lashley Award.

In 2015, the National Academy of Engineering awarded Dr. Merzenich the Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize, the most prestigious award in bioengineering, for his work on cochlear implants.{{cite web|title=Dr. Michael M. Merzenich|url=https://www.nae.edu/Projects/Awards/RussPrize/RussWinners/2015Russ/128665.aspx|website=Russ Prize Website|publisher=National Academy of Engineering|accessdate=19 October 2016}}{{cite news|last1=Farley|first1=Pete|title=UCSF's Merzenich Wins Russ Prize, Bioengineering's Highest Honor|url=https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2015/01/122581/ucsf%E2%80%99s-merzenich-wins-russ-prize-bioengineering%E2%80%99s-highest-honor|accessdate=19 October 2016|work=UCSF News Center|publisher=University of California San Francisco|date=7 January 2015}} In 2016 he was awarded one of the world's top neuroscience prizes, the Kavli Prize,{{Cite web|url=https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2016/06/403136/michael-merzenich-wins-2016-kavli-prize-neuroscience|title=Michael Merzenich Wins 2016 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience|website=UC San Francisco|date=2 June 2016 |access-date=2016-07-27}} for his achievements in the field of brain plasticity.

Merzenich has published more than 200 articles.

His work is also often covered in the popular press, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time and Newsweek.

He has appeared on Sixty Minutes II, CBS Evening News and Good Morning America. His work has been featured on four PBS specials and the ABC Australia documentary "Redesign My Brain" (which aired on Discovery Channel as "Hack My Brain" in the United States.)

He holds nearly 100 US patents.[http://www.amphilsoc.org/prizes/lashley.htm Lashley Award Recipients]

Merzenich holds nearly 100 U.S. patents. Along with Peter B. Delahunt, Joseph L. Hardy, Henry W. Mahncke, and Donald Richards hold the patent for visual emphasis for cognitive training exercises.{{cite web

| last =

| first =

| authorlink =

| title = Michael M. Merzenich – Patents & Inventors

| website =

| publisher =FreshContext LLC/Freshpatents.com

| year = 2008

| url = http://www.freshpatents.com/Michael-M-Merzenich-SanFrancisco-invdirm.php2009

| format =

| doi =

| accessdate = 2009-01-02}}

This patent explores a computer system of visual learning. The participant observes a scene which shows at least one foreground object against a background. The background or foreground are modified to enhance the participants response to achieve a correct response in an iterative basis.{{cite web

| title = Visual emphasis for cognitive training exercises

| work = Patent #20080084427

| publisher =FreshContext LLC/Freshpatents.com

| year = 2008

| url =http://www.freshpatents.com/Visual-emphasis-for-cognitive-training-exercises-dt20080410ptan20080084427.php

| format =

| doi =

| accessdate = 2009-01-02}}

Merzenich has contributed to over 232 publications.

{{cite web

|title=merzenich – PubMed Results

|work=PubMed

|publisher=U.S. National Library of Medicine

|year=2003

|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Search&db=pubmed&term=merzenich

|accessdate=2009-01-02

}}

• {{Cite journal

|last1=Stryker |first1=Michael P.

|last2=Jenkins |first2=William M.

|last3=Merzenich |first3=MM

|date=September 18, 1987

|title=Anesthetic State Does Not Affect the Map of the Hand Representation Within Area 3b Somatosensory Cortex in Owl Monkey

|url=http://keck.ucsf.edu/~idl/CV/Stryker_AnestheticState_JCN_1987.pdf

|journal=The Journal of Comparative Neurology

|volume=258 |issue=2 |pages=297–303

|doi=10.1002/cne.902580209

|pmid=3584542

|s2cid=1526170

}}

• {{Cite journal

|last1=Allard |first1=T.T.

|last2=Clark |first2=W. M. Jenkins and M. M. Merzenich

|title=Syndactyly results in the emergence of dougle-digit fields in somatosensory cortex in adult owl monkeys.

|journal=Soc. Neurosci.

|volume=Abstract 11:965

|issue=Listed in the bibliography for Abstract 11:965

|pages=

|date=September 18, 1987

|url=

|doi=

}}

• {{Cite journal

|last1=Jenkins |first1=W.M.

|last2=Merzenich |first2=M. M.

|last3=Ochs |first3=M. T.

|title=Behaviorally controlled differential use of restricted hand surfaces induce changes in the cortical representation of the hand in area 3b of adult owl monkeys.

|journal=Soc. Neurosci.

|volume=Abstract 10:665

|issue=Listed in the bibliography for Abstract 11:965

|pages=303

|date=September 18, 1987

|url=

|doi=

}}

• {{Cite book

|doi=10.1016/s0079-6123(08)61829-4

|pmid=3588947

|chapter=Chapter 21 Reorganization of neocortical representations after brain injury: A neurophysiological model of the bases of recovery from stroke

|title=Neural Regeneration

|volume=71

|pages=249–266

|series=Progress in Brain Research

|year=1987

|last1=Jenkins

|first1=William M.

|last2=Merzenich

|first2=Michael M.

|isbn=978-0-444-80814-1

}}

• {{Cite book

|last1=Merzenich |first1=M. M.

|last2=Sur |first2=M.

|last3=Nelson |first3=R. J.

|last4=Kaus |first4=J. H.

|chapter=The organization of the Si cortex. Multiple representations of the body in primate.

|title=Cortical Sensory Organization

|editor-last=Woolsey |editor-first=C. N.

|volume=1: Multiple Somatic Areas.

|issue=Listed in the bibliography for Abstract 11:965

|pages=303

|year=1981

|doi=

}}

• {{Cite journal

|doi=10.1016/0306-4522(83)90024-6

|pmid=6835522

|year=1983

|last1=Merzenich

|first1=M. M.

|title=Topographic reorganization of somatosensory cortical areas 3b and 1 in adult monkeys following restricted deafferentation

|journal=Neuroscience

|volume=8

|issue=1

|pages=33–55

|last2=Kaas

|first2=J. H.

|last3=Wall

|first3=J.

|last4=Nelson

|first4=R. J.

|last5=Sur

|first5=M.

|last6=Felleman

|first6=D.

|citeseerx=10.1.1.520.9299

|s2cid=6278328

}}

• {{Cite journal

|doi=10.1016/0306-4522(83)90208-7

|pmid=6646426|year=1983|last1=Merzenich|first1=M. M.|title=Progression of change following median nerve section in the cortical representation of the hand in areas 3b and 1 in adult owl and squirrel monkeys|journal=Neuroscience|volume=10|issue=3|pages=639–65|last2=Kaas|first2=J. H.|last3=Wall|first3=J. T.|last4=Sur|first4=M.|last5=Nelson|first5=R. J.|last6=Felleman|first6=D. J.|citeseerx=10.1.1.459.5967|s2cid=4930}}

• {{Cite book

|last1=Merzenich |first1=M. M.

|last2=Jenkins |first2=W. M.

|last3=Middlebrooks |first3=J. C.

|chapter=Observations and hypotheses on special organizational features of the central auditory nervous system.

|title=Dynamic Aspects of Neocortical Function

|editor1=G. Edleman |editor2=M. Cowan |editor3=E. Gall

|location=New York |publisher=John Wiley and Sons

|volume=

|issue=Listed in the bibliography for Abstract 11:965

|pages=303

|year=1984

|doi=

}}

• {{Cite journal

|url=http://keck.ucsf.edu/~idl/CV/Merzenich_Variabilityinhand_JCN_1987.pdf

|doi=10.1002/cne.902580208

|pmid=3584541

|year=1987

|last1=Merzenich

|first1=M. M.

|title=Variability in hand surface representations in areas 3b and 1 in adult owl and squirrel monkeys

|journal=The Journal of Comparative Neurology

|volume=258

|issue=2

|pages=281–96

|last2=Nelson

|first2=R. J.

|last3=Kaas

|first3=J. H.

|last4=Stryker

|first4=M. P.

|last5=Jenkins

|first5=W. M.

|last6=Zook

|first6=J. M.

|last7=Cynader

|first7=M. S.

|last8=Schoppmann

|first8=A.

|s2cid=11496469

}}

• {{Cite journal

|pmid=3944620

|pmc=6568627

|year=1986

|last1=Wall

|first1=J. T.

|title=Functional reorganization in somatosensory cortical areas 3b and 1 of adult monkeys after median nerve repair: Possible relationships to sensory recovery in humans

|journal=The Journal of Neuroscience

|volume=6

|issue=1

|pages=218–33

|last2=Kaas

|first2=J. H.

|last3=Sur

|first3=M.

|last4=Nelson

|first4=R. J.

|last5=Felleman

|first5=D. J.

|last6=Merzenich

|first6=M. M.

|doi=10.1523/JNEUROSCI.06-01-00218.1986

}}

• {{Cite journal

|last1=Merzenich |first1=M.M.

|last2=Jenkins |first2=W.M.

|last3=Jonhston |first3=P.

|last4=Schreiner |first4=C.

|last5=Miller |first5=S.L.

|last6=Tallal |first6=P.

|date=1996

|title=Temporal processing deficits of language-learning impaired children ameliorated by training

|journal=Science

|volume=271 |issue=5245

|pages=77–81

|doi=10.1126/science.271.5245.77

|pmid=8539603

|bibcode=1996Sci...271...77M

|s2cid=24141773

}}

• {{Cite book

|last1=Merzenich |first1=M. M.

|last2=Jenkins |first2=W. M.

|chapter=Cortical plasticity, learning, and learning dysfunction

|title=Maturational Windows and Adult Cortical Plasticity

|editor1=B. Julesz |editor2=I. Kovacs

|volume=23 |pages=247–271

|date=1995

|doi=

}}

• {{Cite book

|last1=Merzenich |first1=M. M.

|last2=Tallal |first2=P.

|last3=Peterson |first3=B.

|last4=Miller |first4=S. L.

|last5=Jenkins |first5=W. M.

|chapter=Some neurological principles relevant to the origins of - and the cortical plasticity based remediation of - language learning impairments

|title=Neuroplasticity: Building a Bridge from the Laboratory to the Clinic

|editor=J. Grafman

|pages=169–187

|date=1999

|doi=

}}

• {{Cite book

| last1 = Syka

| first1 = Josef

| last2 = Merzenich

| first2 = Michael M.

| title = Plasticity and Signal Representation in the Auditory System

| place =

| publisher =Springer

| year = 2003

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=8KetSJucezEC&q=Michael+Merzenich

| isbn = 978-0-387-23154-9

}}

• {{Cite book

| last1 = Rosen

| first1 = S.

| last2 = Fourcin

| first2 = A.J., Abberton, E., Walliker, J.R., Howard, D.M., Moore, B.C.J., Douek, E.E. & Frampton, S. (ed.) R. A. Schindler & M. M. Merzenich.

| title = Assessing assessment. In Cochlear Implants, New York: Raven Press

| publisher =Springer

| year = 1985

| url = http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/stuart/bookchaps.html

| isbn =

}}

• Merzenich, Michael, Soft-Wired: How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can Change Your Life {{cite book|last1=Merzenich|first1=Dr. Michael|title=Soft-wired : how the new science of brain plasticity can change your life|date=2013|publisher=Parnassus Pub.|location=San Francisco, Calif.|isbn=978-0-9894328-2-5|edition=2nd|url=http://www.soft-wired.com|accessdate=9 September 2014}}
• Merzenich, Michael, self-published memoir, A Childhood in the Sticks{{cite web

| last = Ellison

| first = Katherine

| authorlink =

| title = Video Games vs. the Aging Brain Aging

| website =

| publisher = DISCOVER Magazine

| date = May 21, 2007

| url = http://discovermagazine.com/2007/may/the-elastic-brain/article_view?b_start:int=2&-C

| doi =

| accessdate = 2009-01-03}}

• Activity-dependent plasticity
• Brain fitness
• Cognitive neuroscience
• Is Google Making Us Stupid?
• List of members of the National Academy of Sciences (Systems neuroscience)
• Mind and Life Institute
• Timeline of psychology

{{reflist|0}}

• [http://www.onthebrain.com/ "On the Brain" Dr. Merzenich's blog]
• [http://www.brainhq.com/about Posit Science Corporation]
• [http://www.brainhq.com/ BrainHQ]
• [http://www.scilearn.com/ Scientific Learning Corporation]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090503224809/http://finapps.forbes.com/finapps/jsp/finance/compinfo/CIAtAGlance.jsp?tkr=SCIL SCIL – Scientific Learning Corp. At A Glance – Forbes.com]
• [http://www.media.mit.edu/events/movies/video.php?id=merzenich-2007-05-04 Michael Merzenich: Video "Cortical plasticity underlying human performance abilities; implications for neuro-therapeutics" June 6, 2007]
• [https://archive.org/details/Brain_Network_Dynamics_2007-16-Michael_Merzenich Video: Internet Archive: Details: Michael Merzenich: Brain plasticity for cochlear implants]
• [http://www.childrenofthecode.org/interviews/merzenich.htm Interview: Neuroscience: Neuromodulation, Neuroplasticity and the Reading Brain – Michael Merzenich]

{{Kavli Prize laureates}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merzenich, Michael}}

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Category:American neuroscientists

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