World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Neuroscience

D-Index
37
Citations
7826
World Ranking
8702
National Ranking
3690

Michael S. Brainard publication distribution in Neuroscience in 2026

The chart shows the distribution of publications by all Research.com ranked scientists in the field of Neuroscience in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Michael S. Brainard sits on this spectrum.

38–47 publications: 18 scientists 48–57 publications: 79 scientists 58–67 publications: 193 scientists 68–77 publications: 323 scientists 78–87 publications: 406 scientists 88–97 publications: 452 scientists 98–107 publications: 539 scientists 108–117 publications: 505 scientists 118–127 publications: 522 scientists 128–137 publications: 469 scientists 138–147 publications: 456 scientists 148–157 publications: 459 scientists 158–167 publications: 397 scientists 168–177 publications: 383 scientists 178–187 publications: 350 scientists 188–197 publications: 302 scientists 198–207 publications: 306 scientists 208–217 publications: 262 scientists 218–227 publications: 242 scientists 228–237 publications: 220 scientists 238–247 publications: 203 scientists 248–257 publications: 174 scientists 258–267 publications: 176 scientists 268–277 publications: 175 scientists 278–287 publications: 125 scientists 288–297 publications: 116 scientists 298–307 publications: 127 scientists 308–317 publications: 128 scientists 318–327 publications: 99 scientists 328–337 publications: 89 scientists 338–347 publications: 78 scientists 348–357 publications: 96 scientists 358–367 publications: 66 scientists 368–377 publications: 59 scientists 378–387 publications: 65 scientists 388–397 publications: 54 scientists 398–407 publications: 48 scientists 408–417 publications: 49 scientists 418–427 publications: 34 scientists 428–437 publications: 31 scientists 438–447 publications: 30 scientists 448–457 publications: 31 scientists 458–467 publications: 36 scientists 468–477 publications: 40 scientists 478–487 publications: 35 scientists 488–497 publications: 30 scientists 498–507 publications: 23 scientists 508–517 publications: 26 scientists 518–527 publications: 20 scientists 528–537 publications: 23 scientists 538–547 publications: 20 scientists 548–557 publications: 20 scientists 558–567 publications: 17 scientists 568–577 publications: 14 scientists 578–587 publications: 20 scientists 588–597 publications: 20 scientists 598–607 publications: 19 scientists 608–617 publications: 18 scientists 618–627 publications: 17 scientists 628–637 publications: 11 scientists 638–647 publications: 11 scientists 648–657 publications: 11 scientists 658–667 publications: 8 scientists 668–677 publications: 7 scientists 678–687 publications: 11 scientists 688–697 publications: 10 scientists 698–707 publications: 4 scientists 708–717 publications: 6 scientists 718–727 publications: 5 scientists 728–737 publications: 5 scientists 738–747 publications: 9 scientists 748–757 publications: 9 scientists 758–767 publications: 3 scientists 768–777 publications: 7 scientists 778–787 publications: 7 scientists 788–797 publications: 6 scientists 798–807 publications: 2 scientists 808–817 publications: 2 scientists 818–827 publications: 7 scientists 828–837 publications: 0 scientists 838–847 publications: 9 scientists 848–857 publications: 3 scientists 858–867 publications: 1 scientists 868–877 publications: 3 scientists 878–886 publications: 6 scientists 887+ publications: 100 scientists
38 publications 887+

This scientist: 63 publications — 2nd percentile

2% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 887 publications or more.

Michael S. Brainard D-index placement in Neuroscience in 2026

The chart shows the D-index (discipline H-index) distribution of Neuroscience scientists ranked by Research.com in 2026. The highlighted bar marks where Michael S. Brainard sits on this spectrum.

30–31 D-Index: 42 scientists 32–33 D-Index: 172 scientists 34–35 D-Index: 296 scientists 36–37 D-Index: 435 scientists 38–39 D-Index: 459 scientists 40–41 D-Index: 456 scientists 42–43 D-Index: 467 scientists 44–45 D-Index: 478 scientists 46–47 D-Index: 512 scientists 48–49 D-Index: 435 scientists 50–51 D-Index: 425 scientists 52–53 D-Index: 418 scientists 54–55 D-Index: 392 scientists 56–57 D-Index: 357 scientists 58–59 D-Index: 334 scientists 60–61 D-Index: 328 scientists 62–63 D-Index: 260 scientists 64–65 D-Index: 278 scientists 66–67 D-Index: 239 scientists 68–69 D-Index: 250 scientists 70–71 D-Index: 210 scientists 72–73 D-Index: 200 scientists 74–75 D-Index: 189 scientists 76–77 D-Index: 170 scientists 78–79 D-Index: 146 scientists 80–81 D-Index: 113 scientists 82–83 D-Index: 126 scientists 84–85 D-Index: 100 scientists 86–87 D-Index: 84 scientists 88–89 D-Index: 99 scientists 90–91 D-Index: 84 scientists 92–93 D-Index: 85 scientists 94–95 D-Index: 72 scientists 96–97 D-Index: 76 scientists 98–99 D-Index: 45 scientists 100–101 D-Index: 49 scientists 102–103 D-Index: 43 scientists 104–105 D-Index: 32 scientists 106–107 D-Index: 45 scientists 108–109 D-Index: 50 scientists 110–111 D-Index: 32 scientists 112–113 D-Index: 39 scientists 114–115 D-Index: 32 scientists 116–117 D-Index: 29 scientists 118–119 D-Index: 27 scientists 120–121 D-Index: 19 scientists 122–123 D-Index: 23 scientists 124–125 D-Index: 27 scientists 126–127 D-Index: 16 scientists 128–129 D-Index: 24 scientists 130–131 D-Index: 13 scientists 132–133 D-Index: 21 scientists 134–135 D-Index: 17 scientists 136–137 D-Index: 14 scientists 138–139 D-Index: 15 scientists 140–141 D-Index: 10 scientists 142–143 D-Index: 10 scientists 144–145 D-Index: 13 scientists 146–147 D-Index: 9 scientists 148–149 D-Index: 8 scientists 150–151 D-Index: 6 scientists 152–153 D-Index: 6 scientists 154–155 D-Index: 7 scientists 156–157 D-Index: 7 scientists 158–159 D-Index: 10 scientists 160–161 D-Index: 4 scientists 162 D-Index: 8 scientists 163+ D-Index: 100 scientists
30 D-Index 163+

This scientist: 37 D-Index — 10th percentile

10% of scientists in this discipline score the same or lower.

The last bar groups every scientist with 163 D-Index or more.

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2016 - Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • 2012 - W. Alden Spencer Award, College of Physicians and Surgeons
  • 2003 - Fellow of Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Overview

Michael S. Brainard is affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco in the United States. Their research primarily focuses on areas within Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Agricultural and Biological Sciences, and Environmental Science. They have contributed extensively to Developmental Biology, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Cognitive Neuroscience, and Molecular Biology.

The main topics covered in their work include:

  • Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
  • Animal Behavior and Reproduction
  • Marine animal studies overview
  • Avian ecology and behavior
  • Plant and animal studies
  • Neuroscience and Music Perception
  • Neural dynamics and brain function

Michael S. Brainard has published research in several notable venues. Frequent publication venues include:

  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • eLife
  • Science
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library)

Recent papers authored or co-authored by Brainard include:

  • "Cellular transcriptomics reveals evolutionary identities of songbird vocal circuits," 2021, Science
  • "Songbirds can learn flexible contextual control over syllable sequencing," 2021, eLife
  • "Acetylcholine acts on songbird premotor circuitry to invigorate vocal output," 2020, eLife
  • "Shared mechanisms of auditory and non-auditory vocal learning in the songbird brain," 2022, eLife
  • "Lesions in a songbird vocal circuit increase variability in song syntax," 2024, eLife

The scientist regularly collaborates with a group of frequent co-authors, notably including:

  • Lena Veit
  • Bradley M. Colquitt
  • Lucas Y Tian
  • Timothy L. Warren
  • Christian Monroy Hernandez

Michael S. Brainard's contributions have received recognition in various forms. They were named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016. In 2012, they received the W. Alden Spencer Award from the College of Physicians and Surgeons. Earlier in their career, they were named a Fellow of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in 2003.

Best Publications

  • What songbirds teach us about learning

    Michael S. Brainard;Allison J. Doupe

  • Contributions of an avian basal ganglia–forebrain circuit to real-time modulation of song

    Mimi H. Kao;Allison J. Doupe;Michael S. Brainard

  • Interruption of a basal ganglia-forebrain circuit prevents plasticity of learned vocalizations.

    Michael S. Brainard;Allison J. Doupe

  • Performance variability enables adaptive plasticity of 'crystallized' adult birdsong.

    Evren C. Tumer;Michael S. Brainard

  • Auditory feedback in learning and maintenance of vocal behaviour

    Michael S. Brainard;Allison J. Doupe

  • High-Density, Long-Lasting, and Multi-region Electrophysiological Recordings Using Polymer Electrode Arrays.

    Jason E. Chung;Hannah R. Joo;Jiang Lan Fan;Daniel F. Liu

  • Lesions of an avian basal ganglia circuit prevent context-dependent changes to song variability.

    Mimi H. Kao;Michael S. Brainard

  • Visual instruction of the neural map of auditory space in the developing optic tectum

    Eric I. Knudsen;Michael S. Brainard

  • Translating Birdsong: Songbirds as a Model for Basic and Applied Medical Research

    Michael S. Brainard;Allison J. Doupe

  • Experience-dependent plasticity in the inferior colliculus: a site for visual calibration of the neural representation of auditory space in the barn owl

    Brainard;EI Knudsen

  • Sensitive Periods for Visual Calibration of the Auditory Space Map in the Barn Owl Optic Tectum

    Michael S. Brainard;Eric I. Knudsen

  • CREATING A UNIFIED REPRESENTATION OF VISUAL AND AUDITORY SPACE IN THE BRAIN

    E. I. Knudsen;M. S. Brainard

  • Central Contributions to Acoustic Variation in Birdsong

    Samuel J. Sober;Melville J. Wohlgemuth;Michael S. Brainard

  • Adult birdsong is actively maintained by error correction.

    Samuel J Sober;Michael S Brainard

  • Covert skill learning in a cortical-basal ganglia circuit

    Jonathan D. Charlesworth;Timothy L. Warren;Michael S. Brainard

  • Postlearning Consolidation of Birdsong: Stabilizing Effects of Age and Anterior Forebrain Lesions

    Michael S. Brainard;Allison J. Doupe

  • Mechanisms and time course of vocal learning and consolidation in the adult songbird

    Timothy L. Warren;Evren C. Tumer;Jonathan D. Charlesworth;Michael S. Brainard

  • Cellular transcriptomics reveals evolutionary identities of songbird vocal circuits

    Bradley M. Colquitt;Bradley M. Colquitt;Devin P. Merullo;Genevieve Konopka;Todd F. Roberts

  • Neural derivation of sound source location: resolution of spatial ambiguities in binaural cues.

    Michael S. Brainard;Eric I. Knudsen;Steven D. Esterly

  • Real-Time Contributions of Auditory Feedback to Avian Vocal Motor Control

    Jon T Sakata;Michael S Brainard

Frequent Co-Authors

Allison J. Doupe
Allison J. Doupe University of California, San Francisco
Eric I. Knudsen
Eric I. Knudsen Stanford University
Leslie Greengard
Leslie Greengard New York University
Loren M. Frank
Loren M. Frank University of California, San Francisco
Magnus Karlsson
Magnus Karlsson Lund University
Surya Ganguli
Surya Ganguli Stanford University
Richard W. Aldrich
Richard W. Aldrich The University of Texas at Austin
Daniel E. Feldman
Daniel E. Feldman University of California, Berkeley
W. Tecumseh Fitch
W. Tecumseh Fitch University of Vienna
Richard H. R. Hahnloser
Richard H. R. Hahnloser University of Zurich

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Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

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