Deciphering the Neural Code of Speech
Edward Chang, M.D.
Professor, Neurological Surgery
UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences
Dr. Edward Chang is a neurosurgeon who treats adults with difficult-to-control epilepsy, brain tumors, trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm and movement disorders. He specializes in advanced brain mapping methods to preserve crucial areas for speech and motor functions in the brain. He also has extensive experience with implantable devices that stimulate specific nerves to relieve seizure, movement, pain and other disorders. He is the Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery. Chang's research focuses on the brain mechanisms for speech, movement, emotion, and learning. Chang earned his medical degree at UCSF, where he also completed a residency in neurosurgery. He was honored with the Blavatnik National Laureate for Life Sciences in 2015. In 2020, he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, an honor that recognizes outstanding achievements and service in the fields of medical sciences, health care and public health. In 2022, he received the Pradel Award in Neurosciences from the National Academy of Sciences.
Summary
Speech is a fundamental human behavior for communication. In this lecture, Dr. Chang will describe critical advances over the last decade in deciphering the cortical signals that underlie our ability to hear and speak words.
Learning Objectives:
- To understand the cortical encoding of phonetic features in the human temporal lobe.
- To understand how words are represented by cortical activity.
https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=55027
This page was last updated on Monday, March 3, 2025