Karl Deisseroth

Karl Deisseroth is the D.H. Chen Professor of Bioengineering and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, and an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). He holds the D.H. Chen Professorship and chairs his department at Stanford. His work focuses on optogenetics, CLARITY tissue clearing, and neuropsychiatric research.

Education:

• A.B., Biochemical Sciences, Harvard University (1992, summa cum laude)
• M.D., Stanford University Medical School (2000)
• Ph.D., Neuroscience, Stanford University (1998)

Research Interests: Pioneered optogenetics (light-controlled brain circuits) and CLARITY (3D imaging of intact tissues). His work bridges bioengineering, psychiatry, and neuroscience, with applications in understanding depression, addiction, and other neuropsychiatric disorders.

Awards & Honors: Over 50 major awards, including the Kyoto Prize (2018), Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences (2015), Japan Prize (2023), and Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2023). Recognized globally for transforming neuroscience through optogenetics and CLARITY.

Grants & Service: Lead multiple NIH grants, served on NIH study sections, and advised organizations like the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Teaches optogenetics courses at Woods Hole and Stanford.

Labs & Teams: Directs the Deisseroth Lab at Stanford, focusing on causal systems neuroscience and translational neurotechnology.