Laura Cocas

Laura Cocas is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Santa Clara University (SCU), within the College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on developmental neurobiology, particularly the cellular mechanisms of brain development, including glial development, synapse formation, myelination, and the role of neuroligin proteins in neuron-oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) communication. She leads the Cocas Lab, which investigates how neuronal activity influences OPC differentiation and myelination, with implications for disorders like autism, schizophrenia, and multiple sclerosis.

Dr. Cocas holds a B.A. in Neuroscience and Psychology from Pitzer College, a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Georgetown University, and completed postdoctoral training at UCSF and the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) as a Grass Fellow. She has received prestigious fellowships, including the Fulbright and NINDS grants. Her teaching includes courses in neurobiology, developmental neurobiology, and introductory biology at SCU, alongside mentorship roles in programs like SACNAS and the First Gen SCU LEAD initiative.

Her work emphasizes social justice in science education, partnering with Bay Area schools to engage BIPOC students in neuroscience. She has pioneered viral circuit tracing tools and discovered novel neural-glial connections, contributing to understanding brain plasticity and disease mechanisms.