Gloria Choi

Gloria Choi is the Mark Hyman Jr CD Associate Professor in the Department of Brain & Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and an Investigator at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory. She specializes in neuroimmunology, focusing on how immune mechanisms influence neurodevelopment and behavior. Her research integrates molecular biology, neuroscience, and clinical insights to study maternal-fetal immunity, gut-brain interactions, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Choi earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, a Ph.D. from Caltech under David Anderson, and completed postdoctoral research in Richard Axel’s lab at Columbia University. Her work bridges basic science and translational research, addressing topics such as cytokine signaling in the brain, placental immunity, and the role of the microbiome in neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Her research interests span neuroimmunology, maternal-fetal interactions, and the molecular underpinnings of social and emotional behaviors. Notably, she investigates how maternal inflammation and gut microbiota influence fetal brain development, contributing to conditions like autism. Recent work highlights cytokines’ direct roles in modulating neural circuits and the bidirectional effects of immune responses on anxiety and social engagement.

Choi’s publications emphasize interdisciplinary approaches, including brain-wide immune mapping and neurotechnology for studying neural activity. While no scientific awards are listed, her contributions to understanding neuroimmune dynamics have advanced fields like developmental neuroscience and psychiatric research.

Her lab at MIT and the Picower Institute focuses on unraveling the interplay between immune systems and neural circuits, with implications for treating neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. She advises graduate students in MIT’s Brain and Cognitive Sciences program, though specific advisees are not listed here.