Michael Platt

Michael Platt is the James S. Riepe University Professor, Professor of Neuroscience, Professor of Psychology, and Professor of Marketing at the University of Pennsylvania. With appointments in the Perelman School of Medicine, the School of Arts & Sciences, and the Wharton School, Platt works at the intersection of economics, psychology, and neuroscience. He is known for asking some of the most challenging questions in 21st century neuroscience—and conceiving innovative ways to find the answers. His principle questions focus on the biological mechanisms that underlie decision-making in social environments, the grasp of which has broad-scale implications for improving health and welfare in societies worldwide.

Platt's unquenchable quest for answers has led him outside the traditional boundaries of neuroscience: his broad expertise in psychology, economics, evolutionary biology, and ethology, in addition to his collaborations with colleagues in these fields, have enabled him to reach ever-deeper levels of understanding about the neural bases of cognitive behavior.

A former president of the Society for Neuroeconomics, Platt publishes regularly in top-tier scientific journals and has been featured in prominent TV, radio, print, and online media. With the support of such agencies as the National Institutes of Health, Sloan Foundation, Klingenstein Foundation, McDonnell Foundation, and Department of Defense, he's produced seminal articles that have been collectively cited over 4,000 times. Platt's expertise is sought after outside the realm of academia, as well, leading him to serve in science advisory roles for three major motion pictures and the acclaimed PBS TV series, NOVA. To learn more visit here.

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