Michael Mauk

Michael Mauk is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Texas at Austin and a member of the Center for Learning and Memory. He holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University (1985) and has held academic positions at the University of Texas Medical School (1988–2007) and UT Austin since 2007. His research focuses on cerebellar mechanisms of learning and computation, using experimental and computational approaches to study eyelid conditioning and neural circuit dynamics. Key interests include synaptic plasticity, temporal processing, and large-scale neural simulations.

Research highlights include pioneering work on cerebellar simulations to model motor learning and exploring interactions between prefrontal cortex and cerebellum in trace conditioning. Awards include the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience Scholar (1989–92) and NSF Graduate Fellowship (1981–1984). His lab emphasizes collaborative, idea-driven environments for students and researchers, fostering critical debate and innovation.

• Education: Ph.D., Stanford University (1985)
• Awards: Chancellor's Award (1978), McKnight Scholar (1989–92), NSF Fellowships
• Lab Members: Carter Moore (Ph.D. student), research assistants, and undergraduates in neuroscience