Heidi Johansen-Berg

Pro-Vice Chancellor (Strategic Initiatives) and Associate Head (Research and Innovation) , University of Oxford

Professor Heidi Johansen-Berg is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives at the University of Oxford. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society and Chair of the REF2029 Unit of Assessment 4 (Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience). Her pioneering research explores how the human brain changes its structure and function in response to learning, experience, and injury. Using advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), her work sheds light on plasticity processes in the adult brain, demonstrating how acquiring new skills rewires biological networks. Her team translates these fundamental discoveries into clinical practice, exploring how targeted interventions like non-invasive brain stimulation can enhance motor recovery after a stroke. Furthermore, her broader research investigates how lifestyle factors, such as exercise, influence brain health and resilience across the lifespan