Citation | Carla Shatz is distinguished for providing fundamental insights into brain development. Her research into spontaneous activity patterns that are used to tune and validate neural connections transformed our view of the role of neural activity in circuit formation. By investigating the interplay between genes and experience, most notably through her work on activity regulated MHC genes, she has opened important new vistas in the field of developmental neurobiology. The fundamental research she has done has been critical for the evolution of our understanding of the mechanisms that shape brain circuitry and contribute to the very essence of our being. |