NSF's 2014 Alan T. Waterman Awardee Feng Zhang discusses his research on the brain

The speaker expresses gratitude for recognition and support, highlighting their work on developing technologies to study biological systems, particularly the brain. They discuss optogenetics, a method to make brain cells light-sensitive, and genome editing, which allows precise changes in the genome to study genetic variations and potential disease treatments. The speaker emphasizes the advancements in medical genetics and the potential for future applications, supported by NSF funding.

What are the potential implications of understanding genetic variations among individuals?

Discuss the importance of unrestricted funding in scientific research.