Jessica Butts

Jessica Butts is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at Rice University, affiliated with the Neuroengineering Initiative. She leads the Butts Lab, which focuses on understanding neural fate decisions in the brainstem and developing tissue-engineered models for neurological diseases. Her work integrates multi-omic approaches and stem cell technologies. She completed her PhD at UC San Francisco/Berkeley and postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine. Key research areas include brainstem development, Parkinson’s disease, and medulloblastoma modeling.

Education: Postdoctoral Associate (Baylor College of Medicine, 2019–2023), PhD in Bioengineering (UCSF/UC Berkeley, 2013–2018), B.S. in Biomedical Engineering (Washington University in St. Louis, 2013).

Research Interests: The lab studies Atoh1-lineage neurons, tissue-engineered brainstem models, and disease mechanisms using single-cell and spatial multi-omics. Collaborations include Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital.

Awards: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2015–2018), NINDS F32 Award (2020–2022).

Advising and Grants: Supervises graduate students (e.g., Madison McLaren, Jon Montes) and undergraduates (e.g., Alex Sansom). Research focuses on neuroengineering, neurodevelopmental disorders, and regenerative medicine.

Labs/Teams: The Butts Lab is part of Rice’s Bioengineering Department and Neuroengineering Initiative, with ties to the Texas Medical Center.