Takao Hensch
Takao Hensch has done groundbreaking research in understanding “critical windows” in the brain, and reopening them for therapeutic purposes. He is a Professor of Neurology at Boston Children’s Hospital Harvard Medical School, Professor of Molecular & Cellular Biology and faculty in Harvard’s Center for Brain Science. He helped launch the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan, and now leads the WPI-IRCN project. Takao studies how early life experience shapes brain function. His work uncovers not just the principles of brain development, but also therapies for alleviating devastating cognitive disorders later in life. Takao is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the NIH Director’s Pioneer award and M.D. Sackler Prize for Distinguished Achievement in Developmental Psychobiology.