Headshot of Kevin Mitchell.

Kevin Mitchell

Associate professor of genetics and neuroscience
Trinity College Dublin

Kevin Mitchell is associate professor of genetics and neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. He studies the genetics of brain wiring and its relevance to variation in human faculties, psychiatric disease and perceptual conditions such as synesthesia. His current research focuses on the biology of agency and the nature of genetic and neural information.

Mitchell completed his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, studying the genetic instructions that direct the development of the nervous system in the fruit fly, and his postdoctoral work at the University of California, San Francisco and Stanford University, exploring the same topic in mice. He is the author of “Innate: How the Wiring of Our Brains Shapes Who We Are” and “Free agents: How Evolution Gave Us Free Will.” He also writes the Wiring the Brain blog and is on X (formerly known as Twitter) @WiringtheBrain.

From this contributor

Explore more from The Transmitter

A human silhouette with lines connecting the brain to various organs.

PIEZO channels are opening the study of mechanosensation in unexpected places

The force-activated ion channels underlie the senses of touch and proprioception. Now scientists are using them as a tool to explore molecular mechanisms at work in internal organs, including the heart, bladder, uterus and kidney.

By Calli McMurray
30 January 2026 | 6 min read
US Department of Health and Human Services building.

Latest iteration of U.S. federal autism committee comes under fire

The new panel “represents a radical departure from all past rosters,” says autism researcher Helen Tager-Flusberg.

By Angie Voyles Askham
29 January 2026 | 9 min read
Progenitors cells in the medial ganglionic eminence become increasingly organized during development as rows of brain imaging progress from top to bottom.

‘Tour de force’ study flags fount of interneurons in human brain

The newly discovered cell type might point to the origins of the inhibitory imbalance linked to autism and other conditions.

By Holly Barker
29 January 2026 | 4 min read

privacy consent banner

Privacy Preference

We use cookies to provide you with the best online experience. By clicking “Accept All,” you help us understand how our site is used and enhance its performance. You can change your choice at any time. To learn more, please visit our Privacy Policy.