David Amaral is distinguished professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California, Davis MIND Institute.
David Amaral
Director
Autism BrainNet
From this contributor
‘Prototypical autism’ research is likely a dead end
Efforts to define “frank” or “classic” forms of the condition build on several assumptions that the science has not yet borne out.
‘Prototypical autism’ research is likely a dead end
By
Deborah Fein, David Amaral, Einat Waizbard-Bartov
25 January 2024 | 8 min read
Questions for Amaral, Halladay: Boosting brainpower
A new network of brain banks aims to collect and disburse tissue donations to U.S. autism researchers.
Questions for Amaral, Halladay: Boosting brainpower
By
Katie Moisse
15 December 2015 | 6 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Shifting neural code powers speech comprehension
Dynamic coding helps explain how the brain processes multiple features of speech—from the smallest units of sounds to full sentences—simultaneously.
Shifting neural code powers speech comprehension
Dynamic coding helps explain how the brain processes multiple features of speech—from the smallest units of sounds to full sentences—simultaneously.
By
Claudia López Lloreda
5 March 2026 | 5 min read
Astrocytes orchestrate oxytocin’s social effects in mice
The cells amplify oxytocin—and may be responsible for sex differences in social behavior, two preprints find.
Astrocytes orchestrate oxytocin’s social effects in mice
The cells amplify oxytocin—and may be responsible for sex differences in social behavior, two preprints find.
By
Holly Barker
4 March 2026 | 5 min read
Neuro’s ark: Spying on the secret sensory world of ticks
Carola Städele, a self-proclaimed “tick magnet,” studies the arachnids’ sensory neurobiology—in other words, how these tiny parasites zero in on their next meal.
Neuro’s ark: Spying on the secret sensory world of ticks
Carola Städele, a self-proclaimed “tick magnet,” studies the arachnids’ sensory neurobiology—in other words, how these tiny parasites zero in on their next meal.
By
Calli McMurray
3 March 2026 | 6 min read