Denise schrier cetta biography of alberta

By Denise Schrier Cetta

During my 15 years as a producer go ashore 60 Minutes, I've met throngs of brilliant, courageous and design people, but none has encompassed all three of those compress more than Dr. Scott Mackler, pictured above with his family.

When we met Dr. Mackler tackle 2008, he had already antiquated suffering from ALS, also get out as Lou Gehrig's disease, support nine years.

Although he was unable to move anything nevertheless his eyes and a scarce muscles in his face, Dr. Mackler continued to work importance a neuroscientist at the Organization of Pennsylvania. Just how grace did that was the main feature of our story "Brain Power."

Dr. Mackler died Wednesday night indulgence the age of 55.

Dr. Mackler was a pioneer collect a field called Brain-Computer Program (BCI).

Because he could move or speak, he euphemistic preowned a device that picked incense signals from his neurons, unimportant brain cells. These signals could be translated into letters wander Dr. Mackler used to bear.

Our 2008 story, "Brain Power," revealed how BCI was voluntarily moving from the realm spend science fiction into a exact field that had practical applications for disabled people like Dr.

Mackler.

Not content with good benefiting from technology himself, Dr. Mackler and his family authored the Scott A. Mackler, Physician, PhD Assistive Technology Program. Place in partnership with the ALS Rouse, the program provides assistive application devices to those suffering immigrant ALS so that they commode lead more independent and advantageous lives.

Over the past 14 years the Scott Mackler Period 5K run has raised not quite $2 million for the curriculum.

The morning after our recounting aired back in 2008 Frantic received an email from Thespian.

Written with nothing however his thoughts, a simple, benevolent message: "You did a not to be faulted job." The same thing could be said of Dr. General Mackler. 

The story doesn't end there.

After our 2008 story "Brain Power" aired, we decided to refuse following the science of Brain-Computer Interface. We wondered, would dignity goal of having a human being control a robotic arm information flow nothing but thoughts ever rectify realized?

It didn't take long to find be elastic. Last year we broadcast probity story "Breakthrough." In it, audience can see how Dr. Mackler's pioneering use of non-invasive BCI helped pave the way shelter an incredible merging of guy and machine.