Thomas Biederer

Thomas Biederer is a Professor of Neurology and Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Yale University’s School of Medicine. He previously held faculty positions at Yale (2003–2019) and Tufts University (2013–2019). His research focuses on synapse biology, exploring mechanisms of synaptic formation, maturation, and dysfunction in neurological disorders like schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease. He earned his Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and completed postdoctoral training under Thomas Südhof at UT Southwestern.

Key research areas include synaptogenic adhesion molecules (e.g., SynCAM proteins), synaptic cleft organization, and signaling pathways regulating dendritic development. His lab combines molecular biology, super-resolution imaging, and in vivo models to study how synaptic aberrations contribute to disease.

Notable achievements include the 2025 Nature paper on human gene function modeling and discoveries about myo-inositol’s role in neuronal connectivity. Awards include the NARSAD Young Investigator Award (2009) and the Dana Foundation Scholar Award (2009). His work bridges basic science and translational research, with implications for neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.