Pierre J. Magistretti

Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

Pierre J. Magistretti
Distinguished Professor & Dean

Pierre J. Magistretti received his MD in 1979 from the University of Geneva and his Ph.D. in Biology in 1982 from UCSD. His laboratory has discovered some of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the coupling between neuronal activity and energy consumption by revealing the key role that glial cells, in particular, astrocytes, play in this physiological process. These findings are particularly relevant for understanding the origin of the signals detected by functional brain imaging and are revealing the role of astrocytes in neuronal plasticity and neuroprotection. He is strongly engaged in the public understanding of neuroscience.

Publications