David Barack is a philosopher and neuroscientist who studies the neural circuits of foraging behavior and the conceptual foundations of cognitive neuroscience. He is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. After earning his B.A. in consciousness studies at Pitzer College, he received his M.A. in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and his Ph.D. in philosophy from Duke University, where he also received a certificate in cognitive neuroscience. He is currently writing a book on the neurodynamical foundations of mind.

David Barack
Research associate in neuroscience and philosophy
University of Pennsylvania
From this contributor
Must a theory be falsifiable to contribute to good science?
Four researchers debate the role that non-testable theories play in neuroscience.

Must a theory be falsifiable to contribute to good science?
Explore more from The Transmitter
Mitochondrial ‘landscape’ shifts across human brain
Evolutionarily newer regions sport mitochondria with a higher capacity for energy production than older regions, according to the first detailed map of the organelles in a tissue slice, adding to mounting evidence that the brain features a metabolic gradient.

Mitochondrial ‘landscape’ shifts across human brain
Evolutionarily newer regions sport mitochondria with a higher capacity for energy production than older regions, according to the first detailed map of the organelles in a tissue slice, adding to mounting evidence that the brain features a metabolic gradient.
Expediting clinical trials for profound autism: Q&A with Matthew State
Aligning Research to Impact Autism, a new initiative funded by the Sergey Brin Family Foundation, wants to bring basic science discoveries to the clinic faster.

Expediting clinical trials for profound autism: Q&A with Matthew State
Aligning Research to Impact Autism, a new initiative funded by the Sergey Brin Family Foundation, wants to bring basic science discoveries to the clinic faster.
This paper changed my life: Shane Liddelow on two papers that upended astrocyte research
A game-changing cell culture method developed in Ben Barres’ lab completely transformed the way we study astrocytes and helped me build a career studying their reactive substates.

This paper changed my life: Shane Liddelow on two papers that upended astrocyte research
A game-changing cell culture method developed in Ben Barres’ lab completely transformed the way we study astrocytes and helped me build a career studying their reactive substates.