Lief Fenno

Lief Fenno, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at The University of Texas at Austin, affiliated with Dell Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the College of Natural Sciences’ Department of Neurology. He is a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in addiction medicine, particularly medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. His research focuses on molecular and viral tools to study neuron circuitry and behavior, with applications in precision medicine for neurological and psychiatric conditions. Fenno earned his MD and PhD from Stanford University and a BA in neurobiology from Harvard University.

His research integrates neuroscience, bioengineering, and clinical medicine to develop novel tools for understanding neural circuits. Key interests include optogenetics, chemogenetics, and optical imaging of neuronal activity in awake subjects. The Fenno Lab explores mechanisms of neurological diseases, particularly addiction, and aims to translate findings into clinical treatments.

Recent work emphasizes brain-wide mapping of neural circuits, including studies on glutamate neuron subtypes and VTA-lateral habenula interactions. His lab also develops sono-optogenetic technologies and nanotransducers for deep brain stimulation. Fenno’s educational background includes residency in psychiatry and a bioengineering fellowship at Stanford, underscoring his interdisciplinary approach to neuroscientific challenges.