Stanford's Karl Deisseroth, MD, PhD, a pioneer in the field of optogenetics, has a fan in medical writer Carey Goldberg. After attending the Next Frontier Conference in Boston today, the CommonHealth blogger wrote:
...Said another attendee, “They really brought out all the rock stars of brain science.”
So call me a groupie, but I homed in on one particular scientist whose work I’ve admired from afar but never covered: Dr. Karl Deisseroth of Stanford. He leads work that many see as a real game-changer in brain science. His best summary: “The combination of genetics and optics to achieve gain and loss of function.” My best simplification: You engineer neurons so that, say, green light turns them on, red light turns them off. Green light: scared. Red light: Not scared any more.
Previously: Optogenetics: Offering new insights into brain disorders, Karl Deisseroth outlines optogenetics in Scientific American, Using light to better understand mental illness and Using unconventional therapies to troubleshoot the brain
