Department: Biology
Areas of expertise:
- Developmental neurobiology
- Cerebral cortex
- Synaptic plasticity
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Undergraduate research and mentorship
Dr. George Vidal is a developmental neurobiologist studying how brain circuits wire up in the cerebral cortex. Dysfunctional development of the cerebral cortex is associated with many brain disorders, including autism. Dr. Vidal's overall research goal is to understand how “nature” (genetics) and “nurture” (neural activity) work to help the cerebral cortex develop normally. Together with his JMU undergraduate mentees, Dr. Vidal's lab uses cutting-edge neuroscience techniques to understand the roles of autism genetic risk factors as cerebral cortical circuits wire up.
Dr. Vidal earned a bachelor's degree in neurobiology from Harvard University and a doctorate in neurosciences from Stanford University.
Media contact: Eric Gorton, gortonej@jmu.edu, 540-908-1760.
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