Charles A. Nelson is professor of pediatrics and neuroscience at Harvard Medical School and director of research at Boston Children’s Hospital’s Developmental Medicine Center.
Charles A. Nelson
Research director
Boston Children's Hospital
From this contributor
How separating children from parents causes irreparable harm
Science teaches us that housing children in institution-like settings is likely to cause severe and permanent damage to their minds and bodies.
How separating children from parents causes irreparable harm
By
Charles A. Nelson
26 June 2018 | 4 min read
Romanian orphans reveal clues to origins of autism
Understanding autism features in children who were deprived of social contact as infants could offer clues to the condition.
Romanian orphans reveal clues to origins of autism
By
Charles A. Nelson
25 April 2017 | 6 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
By
Claudia López Lloreda, Calli McMurray, Natalia Mesa, Madeline Shaw
5 October 2026
11 min read
How Nobel Prize-winning optogenetics has revolutionized neuroscience
The technique has enabled neuroscientists to target brain circuits and cells with unprecedented specificity, transforming the study of memory, interoception, brain disorders and reward, among other domains.
How Nobel Prize-winning optogenetics has revolutionized neuroscience
The technique has enabled neuroscientists to target brain circuits and cells with unprecedented specificity, transforming the study of memory, interoception, brain disorders and reward, among other domains.
By
Claudia López Lloreda, Calli McMurray, Natalia Mesa, Madeline Shaw
5 October 2026 | 11 min read
Is confidence a second thought—or part of the first one?
In some settings, neural circuits may calculate confidence in a decision simultaneously with the choice itself. That changes the types of questions researchers should ask.
Is confidence a second thought—or part of the first one?
In some settings, neural circuits may calculate confidence in a decision simultaneously with the choice itself. That changes the types of questions researchers should ask.
By
Ariel Zylberberg
5 October 2026 | 6 min read
What AI can learn from hunger
To enhance AI safety, take a lesson from biological brains; a small set of wants maintains durable control over a much larger cognitive system.
What AI can learn from hunger
To enhance AI safety, take a lesson from biological brains; a small set of wants maintains durable control over a much larger cognitive system.
By
Anthony Zador
5 October 2026 | 6 min read