Paola Arlotta is a distinguished leader in neuroscience and regenerative medicine who serves as the Golub Family Professor and Chair of the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University. She concurrently holds influential positions as an institute member at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and as an associate member of the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research. With academic credentials including an M.S. in biochemistry from the University of Trieste and a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Portsmouth, Dr. Arlotta completed her postdoctoral training in neuroscience at Harvard Medical School. Her career trajectory has established her as a preeminent authority whose work bridges fundamental developmental biology with clinical applications for neurological disorders, shaping research directions across multiple prestigious institutions.
Dr. Arlotta's pioneering research program focuses on unraveling the fundamental principles governing normal brain development and the mechanisms underlying human neurological diseases using advanced embryo and organoid models of the human brain. Her laboratory has unearthed critical mechanistic principles by which cells of the cerebral cortex are built and challenged longstanding dogmas on the immutability of neurons within the brain. Recognized worldwide as a pioneer in human brain organoids and chimeroids, her team developed stem cell-derived laboratory replicas of the human brain to unprecedented levels of complexity, reliability, and scalability. These groundbreaking models have enabled her laboratory to investigate the mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia, providing previously inaccessible insights into human brain pathology and establishing a new conceptual framework for understanding myelin's role in the nervous system.
Dr. Arlotta serves on the scientific advisory boards of numerous academic and private institutions nationally and internationally, significantly influencing the broader research landscape in neuroscience and regenerative medicine. She has received multiple prestigious accolades including the 2024 Pradel Research Award from the National Academy of Sciences and Paola Arlotta, Golub Family Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University, was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2024, recognizing the exceptional impact of her work. As a dedicated educator, she has been honored with the Fannie Cox Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching, demonstrating her commitment to mentoring the next generation of scientists. Her laboratory continues to innovate at the intersection of developmental biology and regenerative medicine, developing new approaches to understand human neurological diseases and pioneering novel therapeutic strategies that hold promise for advancing treatments for brain pathologies worldwide.
