How to Rewire Your Brain & Learn Faster | Dr. Michael Kilgard

Welcome to the Huberman Lab Podcast, where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life. I'm Andrew Huberman and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. My guest today is Dr. Michael Kilgaard. Dr.

Michael Kilgard is a professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, and he is one of the world's leading experts in neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to change in response to experience. Since the beginning of the field of neuroscience, meaning for well over 100 years, it was understood that the young brain can change. Kids can learn things, they can learn languages, new skills, and young adults can learn, but that the adult brain was less capable of learning. Then in the late 90s, it was Dr. Kilgard, in collaboration with his colleagues, that discovered that indeed the adult brain can change massively if the right conditions are set.

His work showed that if specific neuromodulators, meaning acetycholine, norepinephrine, serotonin, or dopamine, are triggered to be released in the adult brain, you can achieve massive rewiring of brain circuits and learning, even as an adult. This opened up an entire new field within neuroscience and of course has profound implications for health and disease. It's also completely changed the way that we think about learning, longevity, and brain health. More recently, Dr. Kilgard's research has focused on vagus nerve stimulation to precisely control the timing of neuromodulator release.

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