Headshot of Karthik Shekhar.

Karthik Shekhar

Assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering
University of California, Berkeley

Karthik Shekhar is John F. Heil Jr. Professor in the chemical and biomolecular engineering department at the University of California, Berkeley. His laboratory is cross-affiliated with neuroscience, vision science and the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. His interests are at the interface of neuroscience, genomics and applied mathematics, and his group uses both experimental and computational approaches to understand how diverse types of neurons in the brain develop and evolve, and how they become selectively vulnerable during diseases. He has received the NIH Pathway to Independence Award, the Hellman Fellowship and the McKnight Fellowship in Neuroscience. He also recently received the Donald E. Noyce Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

From this contributor

Explore more from The Transmitter

Novel assembloid illuminates serotonin changes linked to 22q11.2 deletion

The combination of a serotonin-producing organoid with an organoid based on the developing cerebral cortex offers a new way to investigate neuromodulation.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
30 April 2026 | 0 min watch
Conference attendees

Reporter’s notebook: Highlights from INSAR 2026

At the 25th annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research, scientists, clinicians and self-advocates gathered to discuss topics such as autism genetics and the gap between clinical trials and real-world benefits.

By Diana Kwon
30 April 2026 | 6 min read
Illustration of hand with letter.

Scientists push back against stricter European Research Council grant application rules

In an open letter, scientists call the ERC’s suggestion to block grant reapplications for an additional year “at odds with scientific excellence.”

By Lauren Schenkman
29 April 2026 | 5 min read