Editor’s Note: Nicole Nissim, PhD, is a 2021 Christopher M. Clark Scholar. She accepted a new position at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and PMC is excited to highlight Dr. Nissim’s journey and contribution.
By Meg McCarthy
The human brain is like a football team, made up of complex parts that serve different functions for a common goal.
In this analogy, neuroplasticity is a sense of teamwork: if one “player” is injured, others adapt from their prior functions to better serve the team.
This concept of neuroplasticity was introduced to Nicole Nissim, PhD, during her undergraduate career at the University of Florida. After taking a physiological psychology course, she was inspired.
“I was really fascinated by neuroplasticity, the fact that it naturally occurs, and that there are ways to improve it,” said Dr. Nissim.
Neuroplasticity is particularly important for individuals with brain damage, which can result from short-term events such as having a stroke to long-term disease such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI).