Alysson Muotri is professor of pediatrics and of cellular and molecular medicine at the University of California, San Diego. He also co-directs the Stem Cell Program at the university’s Moores Cancer Center.
Alysson Muotri
Associate professor
University of California, San Diego
From this contributor
With tweaks, brains in a dish may yield clear clues to autism
‘Mini-brains’ created in a dish may reveal autism’s roots and point to treatments, but they do not yet mirror some critical features of a human brain.
With tweaks, brains in a dish may yield clear clues to autism
By
Alysson Muotri
21 March 2017 | 5 min read
Questions for Alysson Muotri: Applying autism tools to Zika
Mini-brains grown from stem cells in culture can reveal the effects of both autism and the Zika virus on early development.
Questions for Alysson Muotri: Applying autism tools to Zika
By
Jessica Wright
14 June 2016 | 6 min read
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How Nobel Prize-winning optogenetics has revolutionized neuroscience
The technique has enabled neuroscientists to target brain circuits and cells with unprecedented specificity, transforming the study of memory, interoception, brain disorders and reward, among other domains.
How Nobel Prize-winning optogenetics has revolutionized neuroscience
The technique has enabled neuroscientists to target brain circuits and cells with unprecedented specificity, transforming the study of memory, interoception, brain disorders and reward, among other domains.
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5 October 2026 | 11 min read
Is confidence a second thought—or part of the first one?
In some settings, neural circuits may calculate confidence in a decision simultaneously with the choice itself. That changes the types of questions researchers should ask.
Is confidence a second thought—or part of the first one?
In some settings, neural circuits may calculate confidence in a decision simultaneously with the choice itself. That changes the types of questions researchers should ask.
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5 October 2026 | 6 min read
What AI can learn from hunger
To enhance AI safety, take a lesson from biological brains; a small set of wants maintains durable control over a much larger cognitive system.
What AI can learn from hunger
To enhance AI safety, take a lesson from biological brains; a small set of wants maintains durable control over a much larger cognitive system.
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Anthony Zador
5 October 2026 | 6 min read