Neuroscientist Marco Iacoboni on how mirror neurons teach us to be human
October 19, 2016
Dr. Marco Iacoboni studies the brain cells that teach us everything from sports skills to empathy.
UCLA
Marco Iacoboni, MD, PhD, and professor in Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, is a UCLA neuroscientist that is enthralled with how mirror neurons function in the brain. According to Iacoboni, mirror neurons allow us to imitate the actions of others by firing as we observe other individuals complete a task. Not only are mirror neurons activated while imitating others, but they also enable us to feel empathy by firing when observing facial expressions. This mirror neuron activation in response to facial expressions allows us to partially experience the emotions of people around us so that we can effectively respond.
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