Headshot of Francisco Aboitiz.

Francisco Aboitiz

Director
Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience

Francisco Aboitiz is director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Neuroscience and professor of psychiatry at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. His research lines include the evolution of the brain and cognition and the neurocognitive underpinnings of neuropsychiatric conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. He is currently working on social projects, including implementing robotics workshops for children in schools of social risk and assessing their cognitive improvements, and screening resilience signatures in adolescent mothers. He has authored more than 140 scientific articles and is author of the books “A Brain for Speech. A View From Evolutionary Neuroanatomy and “A History of Bodies, Brains and Minds. The Evolution of Life and Consciousness.”

Explore more from The Transmitter

Dispute erupts over universal cortical brain-wave claim

The debate highlights opposing views on how the cortex transmits information.

By Claudia López Lloreda
12 December 2025 | 5 min read

Waves of calcium activity dictate eye structure in flies

Synchronized signals in non-neuronal retinal cells draw the tiny compartments of a fruit fly’s compound eye into alignment during pupal development.

By Lauren Schneider
12 December 2025 | 0 min watch

Among brain changes studied in autism, spotlight shifts to subcortex

The striatum and thalamus are more likely than the cerebral cortex to express autism variants or bear transcriptional changes, two unpublished studies find.

By Holly Barker
11 December 2025 | 5 min read

privacy consent banner

Privacy Preference

We use cookies to provide you with the best online experience. By clicking “Accept All,” you help us understand how our site is used and enhance its performance. You can change your choice at any time. To learn more, please visit our Privacy Policy.