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Edward Chang, University of California, San Francisco, received the 2022 Pradel Research Award.
Chang’s research on the brain mechanisms of speech has revolutionized our understanding of the defining human behavior of language.
Through advances in neurotechnology, Chang has discovered key elements of the neural code of speech. His work has revealed in detail how patterns of human cortical activity give rise to consonants and vowels, and the features that compose them.
Chang has identified novel functional organization of cortical areas that process how sounds are transformed into phonetic and prosodic information in speech perception. His lab has also revealed critical details on how the motor cortex controls vocal tract movements during speech production.
His team applied these discoveries to develop novel neuro-prosthetic technology that enabled the demonstration of full word decoding from the speech cortex in a person with severe paralysis for restoring communication.
Chang is a leading neurosurgeon and scientist who has innovated the use of brain mapping in neurosurgical patients to not only improve the safety and effectiveness of neurosurgery but also advance fundamental knowledge on the neurobiology of speech.
The Pradel Research Award is presented annually to recognize mid-career neuroscientists whose work is making major contributions to our understanding of the nervous system. The award is presented with a $50,000 research award to designate to an institution of the recipient's choice to support neuroscience research.
