Maria Carolina Marchetto

Maria Carolina (Carol) Marchetto is a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California San Diego. She holds a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of São Paulo (2005) and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in neurobiology at The Salk Institute (La Jolla, CA). Previously a Staff Scientist at Salk's Laboratory of Genetics, she now focuses on stem cell models to study neuronal development in neuropsychiatric conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorders and human brain evolution. Her work explores human-specific cellular signatures impacting mental health within evolutionary contexts.

Research Interests:

• Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in neuropsychiatric research
• Human brain evolution and neurodevelopment
• Ethical considerations in stem cell research

Funding: Supported by National Institute of Mental Health grants and private foundations, including a $1.2M award from the Hillblom Foundation to study brain aging and dementia.

Teaching: Develops courses on stem cells and evolution, neuroscience of meditation, and graduate seminars in cutting-edge stem cell research topics.