Headshot of Kevin Bender.

Kevin Bender

Professor of neurology
University of California, San Francisco

Kevin Bender is professor of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco. His lab focuses on understanding how the brain encodes information at the synaptic, cellular and network level. Work primarily revolves around understanding how ion channels and modulation of ion channels contribute to these processes in health and in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric conditions. This includes studies related to neurodevelopmental channelopathies, for which he is grateful to be able to work with close colleagues and partners from academia, industry and patient advocacy groups.

Explore more from The Transmitter

Neuro’s ark: Sounding out the evolution of hearing with geckos

Catherine Carr explains her discovery that geckos retain a vibration-sensing pathway previously thought to be lost when animals moved onto land.

By Helena Kudiabor
1 April 2026 | 5 min read
Magnifying glass.

Researchers retract multisensory learning paper after failed replications

Even though one set of experiments did not hold up, the authors stand by the original conclusions of the work and plan to resubmit it as a new paper.

By Calli McMurray
31 March 2026 | 4 min read
Mouse brain slices.

Cortical evolution, ZBTB18, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 30 March.

By Jill Adams
31 March 2026 | 2 min read