Leah Krubitzer

Leah Krubitzer is an American neuroscientist, Professor of Psychology at University of California, Davis, and head of the Laboratory of Evolutionary Neurobiology. Her research interests center on how complex brains in mammals (e.g., humans) evolve from simpler forms. To do this, she focuses on anatomical connections and electrophysiological characteristics of neurons in the neocortex (i.e., the part of the brain associated with perception, cognition, learning, and memory). Using comparative studies, she determines which features of the neocortex are shared by all mammals and how new features of the neocortex have evolved. This allows her to reconstruct evolutionary phylogenies of the neocortex together with their relationship to functional changes. Thus, her work aims to explain the diversity in mammalian behavioral and perceptual abilities by investigating how evolutionarily old developmental mechanisms constrain evolutionary change while also providing the variation needed for the evolution of the diversity of brains found in mammals.

History Krubitzer received a Bachelor of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University. She attended Vanderbilt University where she completed graduate school. She earned a PhD in Physiological Psychology. Upon completion of her PhD, Krubitzer moved to Australia for six years to study at the University of Queensland. During her time in Australia, she studied the neurobiology of different mammals. Two animals she studied most regularly were the extant monotremes, the spiny anteater and the duckbilled platypus. Krubitzer's research interests include the neuroanatomical, behavioral, and electrophysiological techniques used to study the neocortex. Krubitzer has been intrigued by how the neocortex has evolved over time and the ways in which is it organized within different types of mammals.

Lab work and research Krubitzer works on mammals studying the different anatomical connections in the neocortex, as well as the neurons present and their electrophysiological properties. The neocortex is an important part of the brain as it is responsible for functions such as learning and memory, cognition, and perception. Krubitzer and her team have gone down two different paths to research the evolution of the neocortex in mammals. Her lab has been focusing on studying cortical evolution and development, as well as, the parietal cortex.

Krubitzer and her team have decided to focus part of their research on studying the cortical evolution of the neocortex. It is known that the neocortex has the ability to adapt and change over time. This is an important feature that allows the brain function and connectivity to coordinate movements vital for an organism's survival in a specific environment. Krubitzer and her team used a variety of different rodents and squirrels to test their hypothesis. They hypothesized that the level of cortical activity organization would be directly correlated with the specific connections in the brain based on the environment that the particular animal was accustomed. Differences were found between the lab animals and wild caught animals as would be expected. This technique is performed while the monkeys are performing different manual tasks in order to see the action of the cortex live. Krubitzer was honored to be part of the MacArthur Fellows Program due to her increased creative drive to further her scientific research. In 1999, Krubitzer was awarded the Special Lecture for the Society for Neuroscience Meeting and in 2002–2003, the James McKeen Cattell Sabbatical Fellowship and Bloedel Visiting Scientist Fellowship. After completing her graduate studies at Vanderbilt University, Krubitzer was awarded the Vanderbilt University Distinguished Alumni Award as a result of her advancements in studying the dynamic neocortex in mammals. In 2012, Krubitzer was awarded with the Dean's Innovation Award, Division of Social Sciences from the University of California Davis.

Works "Arealization of the Neocortex in Mammals: Genetic and Epigenetic Contributions to the Phenotype", Brain, Behavior and Evolution, Leah Krubitzer, Kelly J. Huffman