Professional Preparation

Research Areas

Research Interests

My research interests relate to the general principles that underlie the remarkable self-organizing capability of the cerebral cortex.  The cortex is continually reorganized to optimize its function to match the environment an individual occupies.  Although cellular studies have demonstrated that plasticity mechanisms are dependent on correlation-based rules, we still do not understand the principles that govern how sensory experience alters the distributed responses of thousands of cortical neurons in a behaviorally useful manner.

    Understanding how brain networks self-organize themselves is critically important for the development of new rehabilitation therapies for autism, dyslexia, stroke, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease.  Current treatment of neurological disease is limited to pharmacological, surgical, or behavioral interventions.  Recent experimental advances indicate that it may soon be possible to effectively manipulate plasticity mechanisms in human patients.  Early attempts to develop neuroscience-based therapies have been encouraging.  The primary aim of experiments in my laboratory is to learn how sensory experience and behavioral motivation influence cortical plasticity so that these factors can be manipulated for therapeutic benefit.

    We are using both environmental enrichment and more targeted behavioral training to study the mechanisms of cortical plasticity.  We are also very interested in the role the cholinergic projection from nucleus basalis plays in guiding cortical plasticity.  Electrical activation of nucleus basalis paired with different sounds causes dramatic reorganization of the rat auditory cortex.  By systematically manipulating features of these sounds we have been able to generate changes in cortical topography, temporal processing, sequence selectivity, and synchronization.  These studies indicate that both emotionally salient stimuli and irrelevant background sounds contribute to cortical organization.

    We have recently demonstrated that pairing sounds with electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve can generate specific and long lasting plasticity that is indistinguishable from nucleus basalis.  Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is well tolerated in humans and we have recently show that pairing tones with VNS is sufficient to reverse chronic tinnitus in rats.  We have begun studies to determine whether VNS directed plasticity could be used to treat other conditions.

   We have recently received funding from the National Institutes of Health to develop VNS as a therapy for tinnitus and to study speech sound processing in an animal model of autism.

  The primary objective of the research in my laboratory is to understand how experience rewires the brain. We are particularly interested in how experience with speech sounds alters the brain. We are presently combining speech training and environmental enrichment with pharmacological and electrical stimulation of the nervous system to develop a general theory of neural plasticity. Understanding the network-level changes that allow the brain to adapt to new situations and learn novel stimuli will aid in the development of new treatment strategies for neurological disorders including dyslexia, autism, and stroke.

Publications

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Appointments

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Additional Information

News Articles

Neuroscientist is Devoted to Building Strong Minds

UT Dallas neuroscientist Dr. Michael Kilgard understands the science behind teaching. “Neuroscience research demonstrates beyond any doubt that the brain is malleable and can benefit greatly from focused interventions,” he said. “The important thing for educators to remember is that teachers change brains every day.” During his 10 years at UT Dallas, Kilgard’s teaching style has not only captured the attention of his students but also caught the attention of colleagues and the UT System Board of Regents. Kilgard is one of only 38 faculty members across the nine UT System academic institutions to be named a recipient of the Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award for tenured faculty. The award is accompanied by at $30,000 stipend.

NIH Grant to Aid Autism Language Investigation

A UT Dallas neuroscientist has earned a $1.6 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate how autistic children process language and why they experience communication difficulties. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders awarded the grant to Dr. Michael Kilgard, associate professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. The funds will enable his lab to evaluate therapies aimed at counteracting the speech- and sound-related deficits that often limit the ability of autistic people to learn and live independently. “We hope this round of research helps us learn more about what happens in autism,” Kilgard said. “Ultimately, we hope to provide some benefits to relieve the difficult challenges faced by people with autism, as well as their families and others who care for them.”

Study: Vagus Nerve Stimulation Boosts Post-Stroke Motor Skill Recovery

Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have demonstrated a method to accelerate motor skill recovery after a stroke by helping the brain reorganize itself more quickly.
In a preclinical study, the scientists paired vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) with a physical therapy task aimed at improving the function of an upper limb in rodents. The results showed a doubled long-term recovery rate relative to current therapy methods, not only in the targeted task but also in similar muscle movements that were not specifically rehabbed. Their work was recently published in the journal Stroke.

Grant Enables Researchers to Continue Studying Stroke Recovery

At UT Dallas, researchers are developing new techniques to aid recovery from stroke. Their efforts recently received a boost thanks to a multimillion-dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Drs. Michael Kilgard and Robert Rennaker will receive $2.3 million over the next five years to test the effectiveness of using vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) to enhance recovery from stroke in an older population.

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