George Mashour, MD, PhD

Anesthesiology

Neuroscience Graduate Program

George Mashour is a neuroscientist who studies consciousness and the mechanisms of unconsciousness across physiologic, pharmacologic, and pathologic conditions. He was the founder of the Center for Consciousness Science and currently serves as its scientific director. 

Mashour’s research spans theory, computational brain models, animal models, studies of healthy volunteers, and clinical trials. He has a particular interest in the global neuronal workspace theory and the role of the prefrontal cortex in the level and content of consciousness. Mashour also has a strong interest in psychedelic neuroscience, is currently organizing the cross-campus Michigan Psychedelic Center, and has sponsored several symposia on altered states. He also has a longstanding interest in quantum theories of consciousness, to which he has contributed empirically. 

Mashour’s work has been consistently funded by the National Institutes of Health as well as the James S. McDonnell Foundation.