Through his studies in neurobiology and cone snails, Dr. Olivera has been able to develop a number of pain drugs, one of which is a thousand times more effective than morphine. Dr. Olivera is an expert on conotoxins that can modulate nerve function. He believes the future of neuroscience depends on collaboration across disciplines. Dr. Olivera brings to OMF his expertise in neurobiology and developing drugs for intervening in neurological processes, as well as his extraordinary creativity and thoughtful approach to scientific problems.
Dr. Olivera is a professor of Biology at the University of Utah and is a lead scientist in the research of cone snail toxins. He holds a PhD in biophysical chemistry from Caltech. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.