WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 27, 2015— The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia recently awarded Elissa L. Newport, PhD, with one of its 2015 Franklin Institute Awards for her contributions to understanding the nature of human language. Dr. Newport was one of eight Benjamin Franklin Medal recipients recognized at the awards ceremony hosted by Bob Schieffer, moderator of CBS’s Face the Nation, in April.

“The awards have publically recognized and encouraged preeminent accomplishments in science and technology on an international level since the Institute was founded in 1824,” stated the Institute in the awards announcement. “The recipients join an extraordinary list of great men and women who have significantly improved our world with their pioneering discoveries and innovations.“

Past laureates include Thomas Edison, Marie Curie, Stephen Hawking, Jacques Cousteau, and more recently Jane Goodall, Dean Kamen, and Bill Gates.

Dr. Newport, a professor of neurology and director of the Georgetown University/MedStar National Rehabilitation Network Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery, has devoted her career to studying human language acquisition and has brought together different threads of research to codify and synthesize new theories and insights into the cognitive and organic bases of language.

She received the Benjamin Franklin Medal In Computer And Cognitive Science “for her contributions to understanding the nature of human language, including the acquisition of spoken and visual language in both typically developing children and those developing in atypical environments; to characterizing critical periods for language learning; and to improving methods for language recovery after damage to the brain.”

Founded in honor of America’s first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of America’s oldest and premier centers of science education and development in the country.

To learn more about Elissa Newport’s award, visit: https://www.fi.edu/laureates/elissa-l-newport

About MedStar National Rehabilitation Network

The MedStar National Rehabilitation Network (MedStar NRH) is a regional system of rehabilitation care that offers inpatient, day treatment and outpatient services in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia.

The Network’s interdisciplinary team of rehabilitation experts provides comprehensive services to help people recover as fully as possible following illness and injury.  Rehabilitation medicine specialists, psychologists, physical and occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists work hand-in-hand with other rehab professionals to design treatment plans tailored to each patient’s unique needs.  Rehabilitation plans feature a team approach and include the use of state-of-the-art technology and advanced medical treatment based on the latest rehabilitation research.  

The Network provides comprehensive programs specifically designed to aid in the rehabilitation of adults and children recovering from neurologic and orthopaedic conditions such as amputation, arthritis, back and neck pain, brain injury, cancer, cardiac conditions, concussion, fibromyalgia, foot and ankle disorders, hand and upper extremity problems, post-polio syndrome, stroke, spinal cord injury and disease, and sports and work-related injuries.

Inpatient and day treatment programs are provided at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital located in Northwest Washington, DC and at more than 40 outpatient sites conveniently located throughout the region.  MedStar NRH is consistently ranked by physicians in U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s “Best Hospitals” for Rehabilitation, and is fully accredited by The Joint Commission, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), with CARF accredited specialty programs for Amputations, Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury and Stroke.

For more on MedStar NRH and to find a location near you, log on to MedStarNRH.org.

Contact:
Derek T. Berry Director of Communications
Ph: 202-877-1773
M: 571-218-7594
[email protected]