Mark Hirsch, Ph.D.

CBES Area of Interest:

Dr. Hirsch’s research is conducted within the Carolinas Rehabilitation Research Laboratories at Carolinas Medical Center. Dr. Hirsch is a Neuroscientist with a multidisciplinary background in Education, Gerontology and Rehabilitation. Dr. Hirsch’s research has focused on stroke, ALS, traumatic brain injury, aging and Parkinson’s disease (PD) and the effect of high-intensity exercise in improving the cardinal signs and symptoms of PD (i.e., balance). His well-known work on PD has led him to conclude that a damaged brain is more likely to learn from experience than a brain that is intact, given optimal teaching and teachers. This has led to the continuous, high-intensity training changes the structure and function of the PD brain which, in turn, may slow or reverse the progression of the disease and lead to a more favorable outcome.

CBES Area of Expertise:

Parkinson’s disease, aging, translational research.