Margaret McCarthy is James & Carolyn Frenkil Endowed Dean’s Professor and chair of pharmacology at the University of Maryland in Baltimore.
Margaret McCarthy
Professor
University of Maryland
From this contributor
Extreme male brain theory of autism rests on shaky ground
New data linking autism to steroid levels in pregnant women are inconsistent with basic facts about the biochemistry of steroids.
Extreme male brain theory of autism rests on shaky ground
By
Margaret McCarthy
1 October 2019 | 6 min read
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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