Michael Kilgard, PhD, is a professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas. He received his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from University of California, Berkeley. He went on to perform his graduate research in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Merzenich at the University of California, San Francisco. There his research was focused on understanding and directing neuroplasticity within the auditory system. After completion of his graduate degree, Dr. Kilgard started his own lab at the University of Texas at Dallas. His lab studies the principles of neuroplasticity in a variety of systems and how to direct plasticity to treat neurological disorders. Recently, he headed a study demonstrating that targeted plasticity therapy can be used treat tinnitus. Given the power of the targeted plasticity, the lab is focused on evaluating other diseases that may benefit from the therapy. His attention is now directed at utilizing targeted plasticity therapy to treat motor dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease.