Heidi Johansen-Berg: Women in Science

Professor Heidi Johansen-Berg heads the Plasticity Group at the
Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the
Brain (FMRIB). Her research focuses on how the brain changes in
response to damage, learning and experience. Plasticity defines an
organism’s ability to adapt to change. The human brain undergoes
changes each time we learn a new skill (e.g. juggling), when we age
or when we suffer from a medical condition such as a stroke.
Understanding why and how the brain changes will help to develop
new rehabilitation processes, enhance learning and promote healthy
ageing. As well as understanding the healthy brain, her work has
implications for understanding and treating diseases.