Suzuki completed
postdoctoral research at the
National Institutes of Health's
National Institute of Mental Health between 1993 and 1998. There she worked under the mentorship of
Robert Desimone, studying how the brain is able to remember where objects are in space. Suzuki joined the faculty at
New York University's Center for Neural Science in 1998. Her research interests center on
neuroplasticity and how the brain is able to change and adapt over the course of a person's life. Her early career research focused on the areas of the brain that play an important role in our ability to form and retain memories. More recently, she's expanded this work to study the role of
aerobic exercise on potentially enhancing cognitive abilities.
Memory and the brain Suzuki's research career started with studying underlying memory. Her lab focused on the role of the
hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that is responsible for memory of facts and events, otherwise known as
declarative or explicit memory. Her research group was the first to identify major changes to patterns of neural activity in the hippocampus as subjects worked to form memories that associated objects with one another, known as "associative memories." They identified neural patterns associated with how the brain forms memories in a temporal order, showing the critical role of the hippocampus in how timing is incorporated into forming memories.
Exercise and the brain Suzuki's research in 2018 focused on the impact of exercise on the brain. Her group is working to develop a "prescription" for the right amount of exercise to maximize brain activity for a range of purposes including; learning, aging, memory, attention, and mood. To support that work, the Suzuki lab is researching the kinds of exercise that enhance cognition among adults. Her group has found evidence that acute aerobic exercise can improve
prefrontal cortex activity, which is the part of the brain that contributes to personality development. Suzuki is also investigating how best to incorporate exercise to treat mood and cognitive disorders. Her group has found that a combined regimen of exercise and self-affirmation interventions can enhance the cognitive capabilities and mood of patients with
traumatic brain injury.
Science communication Suzuki is also a popular science communicator and author of the book
Healthy Brain, Happy Life. The book details her personal journey with exercise and how it has transformed her life, while discussing the underlying neuroscience of the benefits of exercise. Book promotional appearances included shows like
CBS This Morning,
WNYC, and the
Big Think. Suzuki has appeared on
HuffPost, sharing advances in her research on the link between exercise and brain activity. Suzuki told a story for
The Moth about how she first came to say "I love you" to her parents as an adult and for
The Story Collider, about how an exercise in acting challenged her beliefs about love and attraction in the brain. Other topics discussed were
Keeping Fit During COVID-19,
Physical Exercise and Brain Health Suzuki is the author of the book
Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion. In it, she explains the potential benefits of feeling anxiety and encourages readers to strategically handle their anxious feelings. The book also draws on Suzuki's research and interest in neuroplasticity by describing the physiological processes in anxiety as something which can be shifted in response to stimuli. Though intended to help most people dealing with everyday stressors, Suzuki also notes that these techniques may not help readers with
clinical anxiety. •
National Academy of Sciences Troland Research Award, 2004 •
McKnight Foundation Scholar Award
, 1998 – 2000 •
Donald B. Lindsley Prize,
Society for Neuroscience, 1994 Suzuki also serves on the board of directors of the
McKnight Foundation, acting as the chair for the Memory & Cognitive Disorder Awards. == References ==