Neurosurgeon and scientist Edward Chang, M.D., is the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. His far-reaching work centers on pioneering brain mapping methods designed to protect speech and motor regions during surgery, which includes research that extends into the broader neural systems that control emotions, learning, movement, and speech.
For nearly 20 years, the Chang Lab has been at the forefront of decoding how the brain forms, produces, and understands speech, leveraging its insights to “explore potential therapies for speech and language disorders.” This research earned Chang election to the U.S. National Academy of Medicine in 2020 for uncovering the neural architecture that underlies speaking.
A landmark 2019 Nature paper from Chang’s team translated cortical activity alone into audible speech. Through the Chang Lab’s BRAVO (Brain-Computer Interface Restoration of Arm and Voice) clinical trial, his team demonstrated the first successful decoding of words and sentences to restore communication to individuals with neurological injuries, such as paralysis from stroke or ALS.
Chang is widely recognized for mapping brain activity in awake patients during surgeries as a clinical approach while treating brain tumors, epilepsy, and nerve disorders. Among his many awards and honors, Chang was named the Blavatik National Laureate in Life Sciences, awarded the Pradel Award in Neurosciences, and elected a member to the National Academy of Sciences, alongside the National Academy of Medicine. Chang earned his medical degree at UCSF, where he completed his neurosurgery residency, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in cognitive neuroscience at UC Berkeley.
An alumnus of the inaugural DOC 2024, Dr. Chang returns to the DOC 2026 Faculty to update our community on his breakthrough work on human brain mapping. Please join us in welcoming him back.