Robert E. Hampson
Robert E. Hampson is an American neuroscientist and science fiction author. He is a professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and is known for research on neural encoding of memory and for work on hippocampal ensemble stimulation as a method of enhancing or restoring memory function. His research has been supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) [1] and has been covered by national media outlets including MIT Technology Review ,[2] The Wall Street Journal ,[3] and CBS News .[4]
Hampson is also a Hugo Award–nominated science fiction essayist (writing as Ted Roberts) [5] and the author of novels and short fiction published by Baen Books and other presses.
Early life and education
Hampson was born in Centre County, Pennsylvania, in approximately 1959. During his childhood, his family relocated to San Antonio, Texas, where his father worked in the jet engine repair industry .[6] He developed early interests in science and science fiction.
After graduating from high school at age 16, Hampson attended the University of Texas at San Antonio from 1976 to 1979, earning a Bachelor of Science degree with majors in biology and chemistry.[6] He subsequently earned a Master of Science degree from Lehigh University between 1979 and 1982.
In 1982, Hampson entered the doctoral program in physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest University, completing his PhD in 1988. His graduate training included coursework integrated with the medical curriculum at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine.[6]
Scientific career
Memory encoding research
Following completion of his doctorate, Hampson joined the faculty of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and began a long-term research collaboration with neuroscientist Sam A. Deadwyler.[7] Their work focused on understanding how ensembles of neurons in the hippocampus encode and retrieve memory.
During the 1980s and early 1990s, their research examined the effects of commonly abused drugs on hippocampal neural activity and memory performance.[8] By the mid-1990s, the group developed experimental and theoretical models describing memory as being represented by coordinated patterns of neuronal firing, with behavioral errors attributed to failures in initial encoding.[7]
Neural prosthetics and memory restoration
Beginning in the early 2000s, Hampson collaborated with Theodore W. Berger, Vasilis Marmarelis, and Dong Song at the University of Southern California to investigate whether hippocampal memory codes could be replicated using patterned electrical stimulation, with funding from DARPA.[1]
Between 2011 and 2013, the collaboration published studies demonstrating memory facilitation using hippocampal ensemble stimulation in rodents and nonhuman primates .[9] In 2018, the group reported improved memory performance in human subjects using a neural prosthetic approach.[10] Subsequent studies reported that the technique was particularly effective in individuals with traumatic brain injury or impaired baseline memory.[11]
Hampson has also conducted research on the neurological effects of medical radiation and radiation-induced neuroinflammation.[12]
Academic and professional roles
Hampson is a professor in the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and the departments of Translational Neuroscience, Neurology, and Biomedical Engineering at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, part of Atrium Health.[6] He served as lead scientist for the medical device company Braingrade, Inc., from 2020 to 2022.[2]
He is an associate editor of the Journal of Neuroscience Methods and serves as a reviewer for scientific journals and research funding agencies.[6]
Awards and honors
- IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Outstanding Paper Award (2013)[13]
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine Established Team Science Award (2022)[14]
Science fiction career
Hampson began publishing nonfiction science essays for the Baen Books website in 2012, focusing on scientific accuracy in speculative fiction.[15] His two-part essay "Why Science Is Never Settled" was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Related Work in 2015.[5]
His fiction debut was the short story They Also Serve (2015), which later formed the basis of his novel The Human Side (2020). In 2023, Baen Books published his novel The Moon and the Desert.[16]
Selected works
Scientific publications
- A cortical neural prosthesis for restoring and enhancing memory[1]
- [9]
- Developing a hippocampal neural prosthetic[10]
- Patterned hippocampal stimulation facilitates memory[11]
Personal life
Hampson lives in the Piedmont region of North Carolina with his wife. He is a member of SIGMA (the Science Fiction Think Tank) and the Science and Entertainment Exchange of the National Academy of Sciences.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Berger, Theodore W. (2011-12-01). "A cortical neural prosthesis for restoring and enhancing memory". Journal of Neural Engineering. 8 (6): 065002. doi:10.1088/1741-2560/8/6/065002. PMC 3141091. PMID 21677369.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hamzelou, Jessica (2022-09-06). "A memory prosthesis could restore memory in people with damaged brains". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ Hotz, Robert Lee (2021-08-12). "How to Get Smarter: Start With the Brain Itself". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ "Scientists Create 'Prosthetic Memories' In Groundbreaking Brain Research". CBS News. 2018-05-14. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "2015 Hugo Awards – Best Related Works". The Hugo Awards. 2015-08-22. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 "Wake Forest University School of Medicine Faculty: Robert E. Hampson". Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Deadwyler, S. A. (1996-01-01). "Hippocampal ensemble activity during spatial delayed-nonmatch-to-sample performance in rats". Journal of Neuroscience. 16 (1): 354–372. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.16-01-00354.1996. PMC 6578714 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 8613802. - ↑ Howlett, Allyn C. (2004-07-01). "Cannabinoid physiology and pharmacology: 30 years of progress". Neuropharmacology. 47 (Suppl 1): 345–358. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2004.07.030. PMID 15464149.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Hampson, Robert E. (2013-12-01). "Hippocampal memory enhancement using a neural prosthesis". Journal of Neural Engineering. 10 (6): 066013. doi:10.1088/1741-2560/10/6/066013. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Hampson, Robert E. (2018-06-01). "Developing a hippocampal neural prosthetic". Journal of Neural Engineering. 15 (3): 036022. doi:10.1088/1741-2552/aaaed7. PMC 6576290 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 29589592. - ↑ 11.0 11.1 Roeder, Benjamin M. (2022-03-31). "Patterned hippocampal stimulation facilitates memory". Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 16: 842064. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2022.933401. PMC 9358788 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 35959242 Check|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Andrews, R. N. (2017-06-01). "Cerebrovascular remodeling after radiation exposure". Radiation Research. 187 (6): 649–659. doi:10.2174/1570159X15666170602112851. PMC 6251052. PMID 28571544.
- ↑ "IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Outstanding Paper Award – 2013 Awards Booklet" (PDF). IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. 2013-08-01. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ "Wake Forest University School of Medicine Established Team Science Award recipients – 2022". Wake Forest University School of Medicine. 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ "Baen Essays – Why Science Is Never Settled". Baen Books. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
- ↑ The Moon and The Desert announcement. Simon & Schuster. Baen Books. 26 March 2024. ISBN 978-1-9821-9336-2. Retrieved 2026-01-22. Search this book on
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