Meet Sophie Shohat

Sophie Shohat is a PhD candidate in Neurobiology and Behavioral Neuroscience at Tel Aviv University, conducting her research under the supervision of Prof. Boaz Barak. She holds a BSc in Biomedical Engineering from Tel Aviv University and is pursuing her PhD on the direct track.

Her research explores the role of oligodendrocytes not merely as passive insulators, but as active players in brain function. She investigates how neuron-oligodendrocyte communication, particularly through calcium signaling, shapes oligodendrocyte fate in health and in a Shank3-related mouse model of autism.

Using a combination of live calcium imaging, computational tools, and human iPSC-derived oligodendrocyte precursor cells, she works to decode how disrupted signaling patterns contribute to myelination deficits in autism.