Michael Granato, Ph.D.

Michael Granato, Ph.D., is a Professor of Developmental Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine. His research focuses on deciphering the molecular and neural circuit mechanism regulating nervous system plasticity. His research uses a unique combination of molecular genetics, behavioral assays, and live cell imaging to visualize neuronal activity at single cell resolution in the brain of behaving zebrafish. Through unbiased forward genetic screens and reverse genetic approaches his laboratory has identified dozens of genes that are required to mediate complex behaviors frequently disrupted in autism spectrum disorders including a simple form of learning and decision making. He has over 30 years of experience using zebrafish as a model organism and has pioneered behavioral genetics in zebrafish.