Katrin Franke.

Katrin Franke

Senior research scientist, Stanford University School of Medicine
Research group leader, Institute for Ophthalmic Research

Katrin Franke is a senior research scientist at Stanford University School of Medicine and a research group leader at the Institute for Ophthalmic Research in Tübingen, Germany. Her research combines systems neuroscience, computational modeling and machine learning to understand how neural circuits in the retina and cortex process visual information.

Before joining Stanford, Franke led an independent research group at the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience in Tübingen, where she investigated how retinal and cortical networks enable robust visual perception. Her work has been recognized with several awards, including an ERC Starting Grant (2023), the Schilling Award of the German Neuroscience Society (2021), and membership in the EMBO Young Investigator Programme (2022).

Franke earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience at the International Max Planck Research School and the University of Tübingen (summa cum laude).

Explore more from The Transmitter

Psychedelics muddy fMRI results: Q&A with Adam Bauer and Jonah Padawer-Curry

The drugs disrupt the link between vascular and neuronal activity, which complicates interpretations of fMRI data. Adopting a more holistic view of what constitutes brain activity may help, the researchers say.

By Calli McMurray
29 October 2025 | 7 min read
Headshots of Philip Adeniyi, Samir Ahboucha, Willias Masoch and Daniel Gams Massi.

First Pan-African neuroscience journal gets ready to launch

With lower-than-average article processing fees, and issues dedicated to topics important to the continent, the journal hopes to give African neuroscience research much-needed international visibility.

By Lauren Schenkman
28 October 2025 | 5 min listen
Illustration of an open journal featuring lines of text and small illustrations of eyes and mouths.

New method identifies two-hit genetic variation in autism; and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 27 October.

By Jill Adams
28 October 2025 | 2 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.