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

Sex hormone boosts female rats’ sensitivity to unexpected rewards

During the high-estradiol stages of their estrus cycle, female rats learn faster than they do during other stages—and than male rats overall—thanks to a boost in their dopaminergic response to reward, a new study suggests.

By Angie Voyles Askham
26 November 2025 | 5 min read

SHANK3 deficiency and behavior in mice; and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 24 November.

By Jill Adams
25 November 2025 | 2 min read

Remembering Mark Hallett, leader in transcranial magnetic stimulation

The long-time NINDS researcher, best known for studying movement disorders, has died at age 82.

By David Dobbs
25 November 2025 | 7 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.