Bio
Dr. Fenno is a psychiatrist and Instructor at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Leveraging his strengths in neuroscience research and bioengineering, his goal is to design, construct, validate, and apply novel molecular and viral tools to understand the brain in health and disease for the benefit of diverse patient populations. His clinical interests include the treatment of substance use disorders and co-occurring mood disorders.
His specific research interests include the development and application of novel optogenetic tools that combine genetically encoded molecules and light to modulate neurons. Dr. Fenno directs a team focused on expanding the use of novel, intersectional viral targeting approaches, with the objective of precisely establishing links between neuron circuitry and behavior. He has patented advances for optically controlled CNS dysfunction and social dysfunction.
Dr. Fenno has co-written articles on optogenetic tools and other topics in the journals Annual Review of Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Mental Illness, Molecular Psychiatry, Current Protocols in Neuroscience, Nature, and Cell. He is also the co-author of articles on neural mechanisms of autism spectrum disorder, which have appeared in Science Translational Medicine and Nature.
Dr. Fenno has delivered presentations worldwide at events including the meeting of the National Science Foundation NeuroNex Program of Next Generation Networks for Neuroscience. He also has been an invited speaker at the Robarts Research Institute, a Canada-based facility accelerating medical discovery of treatments for some of the most debilitating diseases of our time, and the Gordon Research Conference on Molecular Pharmacology, an international forum for the presentation of pre-publication frontier research.
For his scholarship and teaching achievements, Dr. Fenno has won numerous honors. They include the Laughlin Fellowship from the American College of Psychiatrists, which honors individuals deemed likely to make a significant contribution to the field of psychiatry, and the Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, which honors exceptional teaching skills and commitment to the compassionate treatment of patients and families, students, and colleagues.
Dr. Fenno is a member of the Society for Neuroscience, The American Medical Association, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine.
Clinical Focus
- Psychiatry
Academic Appointments
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Instructor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Honors & Awards
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Psychiatry Career Development Institute Member, Psychiatry CDI (2020)
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Laughlin Fellow, American College of Psychiatry (2019)
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Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award, Arnold P. Gold Foundation (2018)
Professional Education
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Medical Education: Stanford University School of Medicine (2016) CA
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Doctor of Philosophy Degree, Stanford University School of Medicine, Neuroscience
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Postdoctoral, Stanford University School of Medicine, Bioengineering
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Medical Degree, Stanford University School of Medicine
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Residency: Stanford University Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (2020) CA