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Tanya L. Daigle, Ph.D.

Assistant Investigator

Bio:

Tanya Daigle joined the Allen Institute in 2013 as part of the Mouse Cell Types research program to establish methods for analyzing neural connectivity within the mouse visual cortex. Prior to joining the Institute, Daigle was a joint postdoctoral fellow at Duke University and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT. In her postdoctoral work at Duke, she studied the molecular basis of psychostimulant addiction and developed novel genetic mouse models for analyzing dopamine receptor function in specific neuronal populations. At MIT, she studied the neural circuitry basis of obsessive-compulsive disorder in mice and identified a novel biochemical mechanism that regulates post-synaptic density scaffolding protein interactions at cortico-striatal synapses. Her work has involved diverse experimental techniques, including mouse behavioral phenotyping, mouse genetics, in vivo biochemical measurements, and viral-based gene delivery methods. Daigle received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the University of California at San Diego and a Ph.D. degree in Physiology and Biophysics from the University of Washington.

Research Focus:


My research is directed towards understanding the neural circuitry within the brain and determining how these circuits give rise to various behaviors. I am interested in developing tools to characterize diverse neuronal cell types, which are the principal building blocks of these circuits, at an anatomical level and determine their function within these circuits. I will use many genetic tools in my work at the Institute, including viral vectors and Cre driver mice to elucidate the specific connectivity patterns between genetically identified neuronal subtypes and functionally test these cell types using optogenetics.





Expertise




  • Molecular and cellular neuroscience

  • Viral-based gene delivery methods

  • Mouse genetics and behavior

  • Neuronal signaling mechanisms


Research Programs




  • Cell and Circuit Genetics

  • Transgenic Technology