Dr. Carla Shatz

Biography

Carla Shatz is the Sapp Family Provostial Professor of Neurobiology at Stanford University. Her research focuses on understanding the development of brain circuits and their transformation during critical periods of development, particularly in the mammalian visual system. Her work has significant implications for treating disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. Dr. Shatz obtained her B.A. in Chemistry from Radcliffe College in 1969 and was awarded a Marshall Scholarship to study at University College London, where she received her M.Phil. in Physiology in 1971. She completed her Ph.D. in Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School in 1976, studying under Nobel Laureates David Hubel and Torsten Wiesel. After a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard, Shatz joined Stanford University in 1978, becoming a full professor in 1989. Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades, including election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. Her laboratory, Shatz Lab, employs various approaches to investigate synaptic plasticity and the interaction between the nervous and immune systems. She has also held prestigious appointments such as Director of Bio-X at Stanford and has contributed significantly to the field of neuroscience through her research, teaching, and mentorship.

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