Eric Kandel is a neuroscientist who won the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying learning and memory. His research has shown that learning produces changes in behavior by modifying the strength of connections between nerve cells, rather than by altering the brain’s circuitry. His work is central to scientific understanding of memory including dementia and other mental illnesses that affect memory. His research has given hope for more effective treatment of learning disorders, memory impairment, and many psychiatric illnesses. Kandel is Kavli Professor and University Professor at Columbia University and a Senior Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
