South SFV Today

In a groundbreaking development at Stanford Medicine, a new program called Human Neural Circuitry has been introduced, thanks to a series of influential lunch meetings initiated by Karl Deisseroth. Deisseroth, a prominent figure at Stanford Medicine, gathered a diverse group of experts to share sandwiches and ideas, leading to the creation of a program that aims to revolutionize the study of brain activity in real-time.

Deisseroth, a professor of bioengineering and psychiatry, emphasized the importance of real-time human feedback in the program, stating, "There’s nothing like the real-time verbal feedback we can get from our fellow human beings." This emphasis on communication and collaboration has been a driving force behind the Human Neural Circuitry program.

The program, located at the new Stanford Hospital, boasts cutting-edge technology that allows for rapid data processing and analysis. Deisseroth highlighted the unique setup of the program, which includes a bio lab for instant analysis of living cells from patients' brains, providing valuable insights into brain function.

The inspiration for the Human Neural Circuitry program stemmed from a lunch meeting in 2019, where a conversation about dissociation in mice and a patient with epilepsy sparked a collaborative study. This initial success led to the formation of a program that combines research in animal models and humans, with the goal of developing new therapies for various neuropsychiatric disorders.

Deisseroth expressed his belief in the power of simple interactions over lunch, stating, "This program makes clear the irreplaceable value of just getting together and talking over lunch." The success of the Human Neural Circuitry program serves as a testament to the transformative potential of interdisciplinary collaboration and communication in advancing medical science.