Dr. Suzuki is an award-winning Professor of Neural Science and Psychology at New York University where she studies the effects of physical activity on the brain.  She is also a TED speaker and best-selling author of the book Healthy Brain Happy Life that was recently made into a PBS special. Her second book Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion will be published in September of 2021.  Suzuki is a passionate thought leader, spreading the understanding of how we can use the principles of brain plasticity to maximize our brain’s performance and transform our lives for the better.  

Dr. Suzuki received her undergraduate degree in physiology and human anatomy at the University of California, Berkeley in 1987 studying with Prof. Marion C. Diamond, a leader in the field of brain plasticity. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from U.C. San Diego in 1993 and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health before accepting her faculty position at New York University in 1998.

Her major research interest continues to be brain plasticity. She is best known for her extensive work studying areas in the brain critical for our ability to form and retain new long-term memories. More recently her work has focused on understanding how aerobic exercise can be used to improve learning, memory, and higher cognitive abilities in humans. Wendy is passionate about teaching, about exercise, and about supporting and mentoring up and coming scientists.