Tiffany Schmidt

Tiffany Schmidt is the Martin and Patricia Koldyke Outstanding Teaching Professor and Associate Professor in the Department of Neurobiology at Northwestern University’s Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on understanding how light signals from retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) regulate complex visual behaviors, particularly through melanopsin-expressing ipRGC subtypes. She holds a PhD from the University of Minnesota and leads a lab investigating neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, and mouse genetics.

Education:

• PhD in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota
• Bachelor’s Degree, Luther College (Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa)

Research Interests: Visual Neuroscience and Neurophysiology, with emphasis on:
- Light’s role in circadian photoentrainment, sleep, and contrast sensitivity
- ipRGC subtype-specific circuitry and functional contributions to behavior
- Developmental aspects of retinal ganglion cell function
- Genetic tools for studying visual systems

Publications: Over 25 peer-reviewed articles, including high-impact work in Neuron, eLife, and Journal of Neuroscience. Recent efforts focus on refining light measurement standards in animal research and developing genetic models for studying Fragile X syndrome.

Awards:

• 2025 Pisart Award for Vision Science
• 2017 Sloan Research Fellowship
• 2016 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award
• Multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health and private foundations

Advising & Grants: Mentors PhD students Molly Flores-Narvaez and Jake Bhoi. Recent funding includes an R01 grant from NEI (2020) and a Chicago Biomedical Catalyst Award (2020) for collaborative research with UIC’s Xincheng Yao.

Labs/Teams: Director of the Neurobiology Master’s Program and core member of the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience (NUIN) Program. Her lab employs electrophysiology, genetic tools, and behavioral assays to study visual systems.