Dr. Jack Feldman

Dr. Jack Feldman is a distinguished research professor and the David Geffen School of Medicine Chair in Neuroscience at UCLA’s Department of Neurobiology. Jack discovered two discrete brain structures critical for regulating breathing and revolutionized our understanding of basic physiological processes controlled by the brain. Combining cutting-edge techniques, development of new experimental preparations, and expertise in a range of disciplines, he identified several critical breathing functions originating in these brain areas including generation of inspiratory and expiratory pattern for normal breathing and sighing. Most recently, Jack and his colleagues investigated mechanisms by which changes in breathing patterns can affect emotion and cognition. His research continues to explore how the brain controls breathing, paving the way for further clinically-relevant discoveries of mechanisms underlying breathing-related diseases—including sleep apnea, neurodegenerative diseases, and the positive effects of breathing practice on emotion. Jack, who delivered the 125th Faculty Research Lecture at UCLA, is a recipient of the Hodgkin-Huxley-Katz Prize and the National Institutes of Health Outstanding Investigator Award in 2017 and 2023.