Simon Butt is an Associate Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Oxford working on the developing brain. His research focuses on using developmental genetics to investigate cortical interneuron diversity, and how the genetics and physiology involved determines the emergent circuitry of the cerebral cortex.
TIMESTAMPS
(00:26) – Magic of neurodevelopment
(09:41) – Principles of neurodevelopment
(12:46) – How cell fate is specified
(20:13) – How neurons know where to send projections
(26:49) – Individual differences in brain wiring
(29:18) – Nature vs nurture
(32:00) – Interneurons
(47:28) – How to study neurodevelopment in the lab
(53:49) – What mice models tell us about humans
(59:37) – Role of mentorship in academia
(1:03:32) – Starting a lab
(1:08:37) – Life as a PI
(1:11:11) – What does it take to be an academic
(1:12:49) – Improving academia
(1:14:27) – Teaching
(1:17:51) – Free will and consciousness
(1:22:29) – Progress in neuroscience
(1:25:13) – Grand unified theories of the brain
(1:27:10) – Advice for young scientists
