Karl Deisseroth

Clinical Focus

• Psychiatry

Honors and Awards

• Lawrence C. Katz Prize in Neurobiology, Duke University (2008)
• Schuetze Prize in Neurobiology, Columbia University (2008)
• McKnight Foundation Scholar Award, McKnight Foundation (2007)
• Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE), NIH (2006)
• McKnight Foundation Technological Innovations in Neuroscience Award, McKnight Foundation (2005)
• Klingenstein Fellowship, Klingenstein Foundation (2005)
• Director's Pioneer Award, National Institutes of Health (2005)
• Early Career Translational Research Award, Coulter Foundation (2005)
• Culpeper Scholar Award, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Goldman Philanthropic Partnerships (2004)
• Outstanding Resident, National Institute of Mental Health (2002)

Professional Education

• Board Certification: Psychiatry, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (2006)
• SUMC - Graduate Medical Education (2004) CA
• SUMC - Graduate Medical Education (2001) CA
• Stanford University School of Medicine (2000) CA
• M.D./Ph.D., Stanford University Neuroscience (2000)
• M.D., Stanford University (2000)
• A.B., Harvard Biochemical Sciences (1992)

Postdoctoral Advisees

• Polina Anikeeva, Thomas Davidson, Ilka Diester, Inbal Goshen, Kimberly Thompson, Kay Tye, Melissa Warden, Ilana Witten, Ofer Yizhar

Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations

• Neurosciences
• Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
• Bioengineering

Web Site Links

• Deisseroth Lab Website

Research Interests

Research in Dr. Deisseroth's laboratory focuses on developing optical, molecular and cellular tools to observe, perturb, and re-engineer brain circuits. His laboratory is based in the James H. Clark Center at Stanford and has developed optogenetic and tissue engineering methods, employing techniques spanning electrophysiology, molecular biology, optics, neural activity imaging, animal behavior, and computational neural network modeling. Also a physician in the psychiatry department, Professor Deisseroth employs novel electromagnetic brain stimulation techniques in human patients for therapeutic purposes.

Publications

• Parvalbumin neurons and gamma rhythms enhance cortical circuit performance. Sohal VS,  Zhang F, Yizhar O, Deisseroth K.  Nature.  2009; 459 (7247): 698-702
• Driving fast-spiking cells induces gamma rhythm and controls sensory responses. Cardin JA,  Carlén M, Meletis K, Knoblich U, Zhang F, Deisseroth K, Tsai LH, Moore CI.  Nature.  2009; 459 (7247): 663-7
• Phasic firing in dopaminergic neurons is sufficient for behavioral conditioning. Tsai HC,  Zhang F, Adamantidis A, Stuber GD, Bonci A, de Lecea L, Deisseroth K.  Science.  2009; 324 (5930): 1080-4
• Optical deconstruction of parkinsonian neural circuitry. Gradinaru V,  Mogri M, Thompson KR, Henderson JM, Deisseroth K.  Science.  2009; 324 (5925): 354-9
• Temporally precise in vivo control of intracellular signalling. Airan RD,  Thompson KR, Fenno LE, Bernstein H, Deisseroth K.  Nature.  2009; 458 (7241): 1025-9
• Bi-stable neural state switches. Berndt A,  Yizhar O, Gunaydin LA, Hegemann P, Deisseroth K.  Nat Neurosci.  2009; 12 (2): 229-34
• Improved expression of halorhodopsin for light-induced silencing of neuronal activity. Zhao S,  Cunha C, Zhang F, Liu Q, Gloss B, Deisseroth K, Augustine GJ, Feng G.  Brain Cell Biol.  2008; 36 (1-4): 141-54
• Red-shifted optogenetic excitation: a tool for fast neural control derived from Volvox carteri. Zhang F,  Prigge M, Beyrière F, Tsunoda SP, Mattis J, Yizhar O, Hegemann P, Deisseroth K.  Nat Neurosci.  2008; 11 (6): 631-3
• Escape behavior elicited by single, channelrhodopsin-2-evoked spikes in zebrafish somatosensory neurons. Douglass AD,  Kraves S, Deisseroth K, Schier AF, Engert F.  Curr Biol.  2008; 18 (15): 1133-7
• eNpHR: a Natronomonas halorhodopsin enhanced for optogenetic applications. Gradinaru V,  Thompson KR, Deisseroth K.  Brain Cell Biol.  2008; 36 (1-4): 129-39
• Brain circuit dynamics. Hu ES,  Airan RD, Vijaykumar R, Deisseroth K.  Am J Psychiatry.  2008; 165 (7): 800
• Controlling neuronal activity. Schneider MB,  Gradinaru V, Zhang F, Deisseroth K.  Am J Psychiatry.  2008; 165 (5): 562
• An optical neural interface: in vivo control of rodent motor cortex with integrated fiberoptic and optogenetic technology. Aravanis AM,  Wang LP, Zhang F, Meltzer LA, Mogri MZ, Schneider MB, Deisseroth K.  J Neural Eng.  2007; 4 (3): S143-56
• Circuit-breakers: optical technologies for probing neural signals and systems. Zhang F,  Aravanis AM, Adamantidis A, de Lecea L, Deisseroth K.  Nat Rev Neurosci.  2007; 8 (8): 577-81
• High-speed imaging reveals neurophysiological links to behavior in an animal model of depression. Airan RD,  Meltzer LA, Roy M, Gong Y, Chen H, Deisseroth K.  Science.  2007; 317 (5839): 819-23
• High-speed mapping of synaptic connectivity using photostimulation in Channelrhodopsin-2 transgenic mice. Wang H,  Peca J, Matsuzaki M, Matsuzaki K, Noguchi J, Qiu L, Wang D, Zhang F, Boyden E, Deisseroth K, Kasai H, Hall WC, Feng G, Augustine GJ.  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.  2007; 104 (19): 8143-8
• In vivo light-induced activation of neural circuitry in transgenic mice expressing channelrhodopsin-2. Arenkiel BR,  Peca J, Davison IG, Feliciano C, Deisseroth K, Augustine GJ, Ehlers MD, Feng G.  Neuron.  2007; 54 (2): 205-18
• Multimodal fast optical interrogation of neural circuitry. Zhang F,  Wang LP, Brauner M, Liewald JF, Kay K, Watzke N, Wood PG, Bamberg E, Nagel G, Gottschalk A, Deisseroth K.  Nature.  2007; 446 (7136): 633-9
• Nociceptive neurons protect Drosophila larvae from parasitoid wasps. Hwang RY,  Zhong L, Xu Y, Johnson T, Zhang F, Deisseroth K, Tracey WD.  Curr Biol.  2007; 17 (24): 2105-16
• Neural substrates of awakening probed with optogenetic control of hypocretin neurons. Adamantidis AR,  Zhang F, Aravanis AM, Deisseroth K, de Lecea L.  Nature.  2007; 450 (7168): 420-4
• Integration of light-controlled neuronal firing and fast circuit imaging. Airan RD,  Hu ES, Vijaykumar R, Roy M, Meltzer LA, Deisseroth K.  Curr Opin Neurobiol.  2007; 17 (5): 587-92
• Targeting and readout strategies for fast optical neural control in vitro and in vivo. Gradinaru V,  Thompson KR, Zhang F, Mogri M, Kay K, Schneider MB, Deisseroth K.  J Neurosci.  2007; 27 (52): 14231-8
• Channelrhodopsin-2 and optical control of excitable cells. Zhang F,  Wang LP, Boyden ES, Deisseroth K.  Nat Methods.  2006; 3 (10): 785-92
• Next-generation optical technologies for illuminating genetically targeted brain circuits. Deisseroth K,  Feng G, Majewska AK, Miesenböck G, Ting A, Schnitzer MJ.  J Neurosci.  2006; 26 (41): 10380-6
• Millisecond-timescale, genetically targeted optical control of neural activity. Boyden ES,  Zhang F, Bamberg E, Nagel G, Deisseroth K.  Nat Neurosci.  2005; 8 (9): 1263-8
• GABA excitation in the adult brain: a mechanism for excitation- neurogenesis coupling. Deisseroth K,  Malenka RC.  Neuron.  2005; 47 (6): 775-7
• A role for circuit homeostasis in adult neurogenesis. Meltzer LA,  Yabaluri R, Deisseroth K.  Trends Neurosci.  2005; 28 (12): 653-60
• Excitation-neurogenesis coupling in adult neural stem/progenitor cells. Deisseroth K,  Singla S, Toda H, Monje M, Palmer TD, Malenka RC.  Neuron.  2004; 42 (4): 535-52
• Signaling from synapse to nucleus: the logic behind the mechanisms. Deisseroth K,  Mermelstein PG, Xia H, Tsien RW.  Curr Opin Neurobiol.  2003; 13 (3): 354-65
• Dynamic multiphosphorylation passwords for activity-dependent gene expression. Deisseroth K,  Tsien RW.  Neuron.  2002; 34 (2): 179-82
• Calmodulin priming: nuclear translocation of a calmodulin complex and the memory of prior neuronal activity. Mermelstein PG,  Deisseroth K, Dasgupta N, Isaksen AL, Tsien RW.  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.  2001; 98 (26): 15342-7
• Activity-dependent CREB phosphorylation: convergence of a fast, sensitive calmodulin kinase pathway and a slow, less sensitive mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Wu GY,  Deisseroth K, Tsien RW.  Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.  2001; 98 (5): 2808-13
• Spaced stimuli stabilize MAPK pathway activation and its effects on dendritic morphology. Wu GY,  Deisseroth K, Tsien RW.  Nat Neurosci.  2001; 4 (2): 151-8
• Critical dependence of cAMP response element-binding protein phosphorylation on L-type calcium channels supports a selective response to EPSPs in preference to action potentials. Mermelstein PG,  Bito H, Deisseroth K, Tsien RW.  J Neurosci.  2000; 20 (1): 266-73
• Calmodulin supports both inactivation and facilitation of L-type calcium channels. Zühlke RD,  Pitt GS, Deisseroth K, Tsien RW, Reuter H.  Nature.  1999; 399 (6732): 159-62
• L-type calcium channels and GSK-3 regulate the activity of NF-ATc4 in hippocampal neurons. Graef IA,  Mermelstein PG, Stankunas K, Neilson JR, Deisseroth K, Tsien RW, Crabtree GR.  Nature.  1999; 401 (6754): 703-8
• Translocation of calmodulin to the nucleus supports CREB phosphorylation in hippocampal neurons. Deisseroth K,  Heist EK, Tsien RW.  Nature.  1998; 392 (6672): 198-202
• Ca2+-dependent regulation in neuronal gene expression. Bito H,  Deisseroth K, Tsien RW.  Curr Opin Neurobiol.  1997; 7 (3): 419-29
• Signaling from synapse to nucleus: postsynaptic CREB phosphorylation during multiple forms of hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Deisseroth K,  Bito H, Tsien RW.  Neuron.  1996; 16 (1): 89-101
• CREB phosphorylation and dephosphorylation: a Ca(2+)- and stimulus duration-dependent switch for hippocampal gene expression. Bito H,  Deisseroth K, Tsien RW.  Cell.  1996; 87 (7): 1203-14
• Synaptic plasticity: A molecular mechanism for metaplasticity. Deisseroth K,  Bito H, Schulman H, Tsien RW.  Curr Biol.  1995; 5 (12): 1334-8
• Identification of a point mutation in the topoisomerase II gene from a human leukemia cell line containing an amsacrine-resistant form of topoisomerase II. Hinds M,  Deisseroth K, Mayes J, Altschuler E, Jansen R, Ledley FD, Zwelling LA.  Cancer Res.  1991; 51 (17): 4729-31
• Cross-resistance of an amsacrine-resistant human leukemia line to topoisomerase II reactive DNA intercalating agents. Evidence for two topoisomerase II directed drug actions. Zwelling LA,  Mayes J, Hinds M, Chan D, Altschuler E, Carroll B, Parker E, Deisseroth K, Radcliffe A, Seligman M.  Biochemistry.  1991; 30 (16): 4048-55
• A restriction fragment length polymorphism for human topoisomerase II: possible relationship to drug-resistance. Zwelling LA,  Mayes J, Deisseroth K, Hinds M, Grant G, Pathak S, Ledley FD, Vyas R, Hittelman W.  Cancer Commun.  1990; 2 (11): 357-61