#183. A Neuroscientist Tells the Story of his Remarkable Overcoming of Profound Childhood Adversity

#183. A Neuroscientist Tells the Story of his Remarkable Overcoming of Profound Childhood Adversity

From Delving In with Stuart Kelter by Stuart Kelter

March 15, 2026 · 53 min · Season 1 · Episode 183

About this episode

David Sussillo shares his journey of overcoming childhood adversity and his work in neuroscience.

David Sussillo is an internationally recognized neuroscientist, currently working as a senior research manager at Meta Reality Labs, leading a team that is developing brain-machine interfaces for next-generation computer technologies. He is also an adjunct professor in the electrical engineering department at Stanford University, where he conducts research in computational neuroscience and neural dynamics. This interview will focus on his soon-to-be published book, Emergence: A Memoir of Boyhood, Computation, and the Mysteries of Mind , about his remarkable overcoming of profound childhood adversity, including his earliest years growing up with drug-addicted parents, followed by nearly a decade in orphanages. In this interview we will try to imagine what it was like for David during his childhood, including the hardships, the sources of engagement and hope, and what it took to achieve the improbable: a highly successful life, both professionally and personally. Recorded 3/10/26.

People in this episode

Host: Stuart Kelter

Guest: David Sussillo

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Meta Reality Labs, Stanford University

Books & works: Emergence: A Memoir of Boyhood, Computation, and the Mysteries of Mind

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