Emanuel Mora

Visiting Research Assistant Professor

Download Curriculum VitaeResearch Interests: Building on a strong foundation in neuroethology and bioacoustics from my tenure at Havana University, my current research at FIU is dedicated to advancing neuroscience and neurotechnology. I am particularly focused on integrating electrophysiological and neuroimaging methodologies to dissect the functional dynamics of the normal and disordered brain across both human and animal models. This interdisciplinary approach aims to foster significant advancements in understanding brain function and developing interventions for neurological disorders.
Research Area: Therapeutic and Reparative Neurotechnology
Lab: Neuronal Mass Dynamics Laboratory
Website: https://bme.fiu.edu/people/faculty-instructors/emanuel-mora-ph-d/

Email: emoramac@fiu.edu

Biography

Dr. Emanuel Cristian Mora Macias, Ph.D., is a distinguished Research Scientist and Professor with dual PhDs in Neuroscience and Biological Sciences. Specializing in neuroethology, behavioral research, and computational solutions, Dr. Mora has over 25 years of experience leading multidisciplinary research teams and developing innovative research platforms.

During his tenure at Havana University, Dr. Mora’s neuroethology lab pioneered electrophysiological techniques, DPOAEs, and laser vibrometry to investigate the behavioral, mechanical, and neuronal mechanisms behind the coevolution of wild bats and moths in the Caribbean. At FIU, Dr. Mora will expand his research to understand how the brain of laboratory animal models processes information at multiple levels, from individual cells to network-level activity. His work aims to elucidate the mechanisms by which network emergent properties evolve from the activity of individual cells, with significant implications for both normal and pathological neural functions. His commitment to interdisciplinary approaches extends to developing animal models for brain disorders, aiming to enhance our understanding of brain function and evolution.

As a dedicated educator, Dr. Mora has taught general biology, biophysics, physiology, and behavioral neuroscience to thousands of students over 25 years and has supervised more than 60 BSc, MSc, and PhD theses across diverse fields such as bioacoustics, neuroscience, electronics, and computing sciences. He has presented his research at over 70 seminars across 18 countries and organized international neuroscience courses in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Sierra Leone, and the United States. In 2016, he was invited to join the prestigious Visiting Lecture Team Program of the International Brain Research Organization.

Dr. Mora is passionate about extending the reach of science beyond academia, using education to empower diverse student bodies and making science accessible and relevant to global communities.

 

Selected Publications

  1. Gelbart B, et al. (2025). The Function of Love: A signaling-to-alternatives account of the commitment device hypothesis. Evolution and Human Behavior, 46(2).
  2. Walter KV, et al. (2020). Sex Differences in Mate Preferences Across 45 Countries: A Large-Scale Replication. Psychological Science, 31(4): 408-423.
  3. Mora EC, Cobo-Cuan A, Macías-Escrivá F, Kössl M (2015). Unexpected dynamic up-tuning of auditory organs in day-flying moths. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 201:657-672.
  4. Mora EC, Cobo-Cuan A, Macías F, Pérez M, Nowotny M, Kössl K (2013). Mechanical tuning of the moth ear: distortion-product otoacoustic emissions and tympanal vibrations. Journal of Experimental Biology 216(20): 3863-3872.
  5. Hechavarría JC, Macías S, Vater M, Mora EC, Kössl M (2013). Blurry topography for precise target-distance computations in the auditory cortex of echolocating bats. Nature Communications 4:2587.
  6. Kössl M, Voss C, Mora EC, Macías S, Foeller E, Vater M (2012). Auditory cortex of newborn bats is prewired for echolocation. Nature Communications. 3:773.
  7. Vater M, Föller E, Mora EC, Coro F, Russell IJ, Kössl M (2010). Postnatal maturation of primary auditory cortex in the mustached bat, Pteronotus parnellii. Journal of Neurophysiology 103: 2339–2354.
  8. Mora EC, Macías S, Vater M, Coro F, Kössl M (2004). Specializations for aerial-hawking in the echolocation system of Molossus molossus (Molossidae, Chiroptera). Journal of Comparative Physiology A. 190(7): 561-74.
  9. Coro F, Pérez M, Mora EC, Boada D, Conner WE, Sanderford MV, Avila H (1998). Receptor cell habituation in the A1 auditory cell of four noctuoid moths. Journal of Experimental Biology 201: 2879-2890.