Jason Shepherd.

Jason Shepherd

Professor of neurobiology
University of Utah

Jason Shepherd is professor of neurobiology and holds the Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Chair at the University of Utah. He obtained his B.Sc. (Hons) at the University of Otago, his Ph.D. at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and his postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Shepherd is a recipient of the Peter and Patricia Gruber International Research Award in Neuroscience, the International Society for Neurochemistry Young Scientist Lectureship Award, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Ben Barres Early Career Acceleration Award, the NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award, the Brain Research Foundation Scientific Innovation Award and the McKnight Foundation Neurobiology of Brain Disorders Award. He is also a National Academy of Sciences Kavli fellow.

Explore more from The Transmitter

Curvy lines link brain scans and a world map.

BRAIN Initiative researchers ‘dream big’ amid shifts in leadership, funding

But whether the initiative’s road map for the next decade is feasible remains an open question.

By Claudia López Lloreda
23 January 2026 | 6 min read
Two piggy banks whose slots form a plus symbol and a minus symbol.

Neuroscience, BRAIN Initiative gain budget in ‘bad’ NIH funding bill

The bill goes before the House of Representatives today and outlines increases for neuroscience-related research—including a 33 percent increase to the BRAIN Initiative—but maintains a multiyear spending approach that could limit the number of grants awarded overall.

By Angie Voyles Askham
22 January 2026 | 4 min read
Marmoset brain slices.

Prenatal viral injections prime primate brain for study

The approach makes it possible to deploy tools such as CRISPR and optogenetics across the monkey brain before birth.

By Angie Voyles Askham
22 January 2026 | 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.