Michael Halassa

  Neuroscientist | Psychiatrist | Cognitive Researcher Dr. Michael Halassa is a distinguished neuroscientist and psychiatrist based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States , specializing in cognitive flexibility and schizophrenia research. He is a Professor in the Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at Tufts University , where he leads groundbreaking research on the neural mechanisms of cognitive control. Dr. Halassa earned his MD from the University of Jordan and a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania before completing postdoctoral training at MIT and a psychiatry residency at Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on how the brain generates thoughts and action plans using internal models, with a particular emphasis on the thalamus in task-relevant cortical dynamics . Previously, he held faculty positions at MIT and NYU . Recognized for his contributions, he has received prestigious awards such as the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise, the Sloan Re...