Headshot of Felicia Davatolhagh.

Felicia Davatolhagh

Postdoctoral researcher
University of California, Los Angeles

Felicia Davatolhagh is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles in Anne Churchland’s lab, where she studies how cortical circuits are altered during decision-making in a genetic mouse model of autism. She also serves as a member of the neurobiology department’s Justice, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) group.

From this contributor

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of rolling dice.

Grant review needs reform. How about we add an element of chance?

A process that uses a lottery system saves time, reduces strategic resubmission and accepts that, above a quality threshold, luck has always played a part in science funding.

By Adrien Peyrache
25 September 2026 | 6 min read
Research diagram of gene expression.

Fly neurons carry molecular signatures of their origins

The pattern of transcription factors a Drosophila neuron expresses offers clues to its lineage and birth order—and ultimately how neural circuits emerge.

By Alissa de Chassey
25 September 2026 | 5 min read
Cortical organoids from the anterior (green) or posterior (red) cortex.

Polarized cortical organoids mimic the brain’s regional organization

The organoids show region-specific gene-expression changes that match those observed during fetal development.

By Holly Barker
24 September 2026 | 4 min read