Professor Francisco Ortega is a Visiting Professor in the Department of Global Health & Social Medicine.  

Since 1999, he has taught at the Institute for Social Medicine, State University of Rio de Janeiro. He is one of the founders and is Director of Research of the Rio Centre for Global Health.

Research

Francisco's research examines the many emerging ‘neuro-disciplines’, such as neuroethics, cultural neuroscience, neuroaesthetics, neuroascesis, the adolescent brain, and the cerebralisation of autism and other psychiatric disorders.

He uses qualitative research to investigate the mechanisms of social and personal identity formation in:

• individuals diagnosed with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and fibromyalgia and/or their nuclear family
• adolescents and their perceptions about neuroscientific theories
• individuals (diagnosed or not) that make use of medical drugs to improve cognition
• health professionals working at private and public services involved with the healthcare of people diagnosed with autism
• public opinion (printed and online media) about autism, ADHD and fibromyalgia