One of the founders of modern neuroscience, famous for her discovery of definitive evidence of neuroplasticity, Marian C. Diamond revolutionized the study of the human brain and proved that play is fundamental to human learning. With her colleagues at University of California, Berkeley, she demonstrated the profound effect of rich play environments on brain growth and development — and, conversely, the detrimental effects of a deprived environment. Her early research supported the creation of the Head Start early childhood education program, and her findings on glial cells in Albert Einstein’s preserved brain completely changed the paradigm of neuroscience. One of the world’s most sought-after lecturers on human biology and comparative anatomy, she produced extensive scholarship demonstrating the importance of rich and varied environments and play experiences to human development, and proved that neuroplasticity — and thus, the beneficial effects of play — persists well into extreme old age.
Most Influential Work:
- Enriching Heredity: The Impact of the Environment on the Anatomy of the Brain (New York: Free Press, 1988) is a pivotal work in neuroscience, providing a deep dive into the ways environment influences the mammalian brain.
