Merzenich, Tallal, Miller & Jenkins

The Founders of Fast ForWord

Fast ForWord was developed by four neuroscientists at the forefront of their respective fields of education and neuroscience; brain plasticity; auditory, developmental language, and reading impairments; psychology; behavioral algorithms; and multimedia technology.
The science behind Fast ForWord cognitive software

This unique collaboration led to a new kind of educational software that starts with training to correct cognitive delays followed by a series of comprehensive reading programs.
Breaking the mold in educational software for children

Michael Merzenich, Ph. D

Mike Merzenich is widely recognized as one of the world's leading experts in brain plasticity, brain mechanisms, and integrative neuroscience. In 1971, Dr. Merzenich joined the faculty of UCSF and in 1990 he became a full professor in Neuroscience, Physiology, Biomedical Engineering and Otolaryngology. He is currently Professor Emeritus in the departments of otolaryngology and physiology at UCSF.

Dr. Merzenich also co-founded Posit Science Corporation, whose neuroscience based products address issues related to aging, neurological and psychiatric illness, brain damage and stroke. Dr. Merzenich is presently the Chief Scientific Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Posit.

Dr. Merzenich was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1999 and a member of the National Institute of Medicine in 2008. Dr. Merzenich holds a BS in General Science from the University of Portland and a PhD in Physiology from Johns Hopkins University, with additional training from the University of Wisconsin.

Dr. Merzenich has been an active researcher in the areas of treatments for autism and traumatic brain injury.

Paula Tallal, Ph. D

Paula A. Tallal, Ph.D., received her bachelor's degree from NYU and her Ph.D. from Cambridge. As a Board of Governors' professor of neuroscience at Rutgers (the State University of New Jersey) she helped found and currently co-directs the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience.

Dr. Tallal is a cognitive neuroscientist and board-certified clinical psychologist who has authored over 200 professional publications and holds several patents. She was selected by the Library of Congress to be the Commentator for the Field of Psychology at its Bicentennial Celebration and earned the Thomas Alva Edison Patent Prize for her work leading to the development of Fast ForWord software. She is also a participant in many scientific advisory boards and governmental committees on developmental language disorders and learning disabilities.

Dr. Tallal's early experiments on how auditory processing deficits impact reading were the spark that lead to the development of Fast ForWord.

Steven Miller, Ph. D

Steven L. Miller, Ph.D., earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Bloomsburg University, a master's degree in neuroscience from the University of Hartford, and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. He received additional training in the neuropsychology of reading at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine. Previously he served on the research faculty at the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at Rutgers University.

A neuropsychologist with expertise in the assessment and treatment of developmental language and reading impairments, Dr. Miller has extensive experience in organizing clinical studies and conducting longitudinal studies of children and adults with such disabilities.

William Jenkins, Ph. D

William M. Jenkins, Ph.D., earned his bachelor's degree in psychology, along with a master's degree and Ph.D. in psychobiology, from Florida State University. Dr. Jenkins is an expert in learning-based brain plasticity, behavioral algorithms, and psychophysical methods, as well as an expert in multimedia and Internet technology.

He is an author or co-author of more than 100 publications and holds 46 U.S. patents and 12 foreign patents. Dr. Jenkins has also authored or co-authored 13 commercial software products. He was recognized by Discovery Magazine in its annual Awards for Technology Innovations and received the Year 2000 Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award.