SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Dr. Michael Merzenich became a recipient of the Merkin Prize in Biomedical Technology, which annually recognizes a novel technology that has advanced human health. Merzenich and his co-inventors were recognized for the invention of the cochlear implant, which has restored hearing to more than a million people with deafness. While often described as a miracle of modern technology, Merzenich’s work on the project resulted in a stream of miracles that: revolutionized neuroscience; upended theories of childhood learning; debunked aging decline dogma; transformed the training paradigm for athletes and other peak performers; and created the new age of digital therapeutics — pushing beyond what pharma and surgeons can currently accomplish, while supplying the big data to fuel 21st century functional medicine. Read More