Susan J Birren

Susan J Birren is the Zalman Abraham Kekst Professor of Neuroscience at Brandeis University, affiliated with the Department of Biology and the Benjamin and Mae Volen National Center for Complex Systems. She serves as Division Head for the Sciences within the School of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the development and function of peripheral sympathetic neurons, with implications for diseases like Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), diabetes, and hypertension.

• Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
• B.A., University of California, Berkeley

Her work explores neurotrophic factors, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), and glial-sympathetic neuron interactions that regulate cardiac function, blood pressure, and synaptic plasticity. Current studies address glial signaling in homeostatic regulation of autonomic circuits.

She has received prestigious awards including the Pew Scholars Award, Damon Runyon Postdoctoral Fellowship, and Keck Foundation Grant. Her lab investigates mechanisms linking sympathetic nervous system dysfunction to disorders characterized by elevated sympathetic drive.

• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation (1987-1990)
• Pew Scholars Award in Biomedical Sciences (1996)
• Whitehall Foundation Grant (1996-2000)
• Autism Speaks Grant (2003)
• Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer (2011-2012)
• Visiting Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa Society (2018-2019)
• Baruchowitz Family Fellowship for Dysautonomia Research (2021-2023)
• Keck Foundation Grant (2022-2025)

As head of the Birren Lab, she leads research on sympathetic ganglia and glial biology, contributing to understanding autonomic regulation in health and disease. Her grants support investigations into neurotrophic factors and dysautonomia-related mechanisms.