NINDS Pathway to Independence Award Recipients

NINDS Pathway to Independence Award Recipients are sorted via the dates below. For those who have transitioned to an independent faculty position (or equivalent) for the R00 phase, the first faculty position obtained is listed as “Independent Position” below.

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Council Dates: October 2013 – May 2014

Council Dates: October 2012 – May 2013

Council Dates: October 2011 – May 2012

Orin Bloch, M.D.
University of California - San Francisco
B7-H1 Expressing Macrophages Mediate Immunosupression in Glioma
Ryan T. Canolty, Ph.D.
University of California Berkeley
Investigating Computation and Communication in Multi-Scale Brain Networks
Omar El Gharbawie, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University
Organization of the parietal-frontal network that mediates grasping in monkeys
Aryn H. Gittis, Ph.D.
J. David Gladstone Institutes
Organization and Function of Striatal Microcircuits in Health and Disease
Independent Position: Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University
Michael M. Halassa, M.D., Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Causal examination of TRN role in neocortical spindle generation and function
Ryan E. Hibbs, Ph.D.
Oregon Health and Science University
3D Structure and Function of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors
Independent Position: Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Justin Kawika Ichida, Ph.D.
Harvard University
Conversion of fibroblasts to functional spinal motor neurons using defined factor
Independent Position: Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of Southern California
Yichang Jia, Ph.D.
Jackson Laboratory
Mechanism Underlying Neurodegeneration Caused by Dysfunction of Pre-mRNA Splicing
Independent Position: School of Medicine, Tsinghua University
Hyosang Lee, Ph.D.
California Institute of Technology
The Peripheral and Central Neuronal Circuits that Underlie Itch
Evan W. Miller, Ph.D.
University of California San Diego
Molecular and optogenetic tools for studying voltage in the brain
Jason M. Newbern, Ph.D.
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
ERK/MAPK regulation of cortical inhibitory interneurons
Independent Position: School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University
Jeanne Paz, Ph.D.
Stanford University
Role of Thalamus in Post-stroke epileptogenesis
Benoit Renvoise, Ph.D.
National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Intramural Program
Role of hereditary spastic paraplegia proteins REEP1, spastin and atlastin-1 in E
Kenneth M. Scaglione, Ph.D.
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Protein fate in neurodegeneration: Investigations of novel regulatory mechanisms
Dong Yan, Ph.D.
University of California San Diego
Regulation of the DLK-1 pathway in axon regeneration

Council Dates: October 2010 – May 2011

Robert C. Axtell, Ph.D.
Stanford University
Molecular Stratification of Multiple Sclerosis and Associated Neuro-autoimmune Disorders
Jun Ding, Ph.D.
Harvard University
Functional organization of neural circuits underlying movement control
Independent Position: Stanford Institute of Neuro-Innovation and Translational Neurosciences, Stanford University
Simon W. Moore, Ph.D.
Columbia University
Mechanisms of mechanical transduction in the guidance of neuronal axons
Magdalini Polymenidou, Ph.D.
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
mRNA Targets for TDP-43 and FUS/TLS: Identifying Key RNA-Processing Errors in ALS
Priti Balchandani, Ph.D.
Stanford University
High Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy of Epilepsy at 7T
Independent Position: Department of Radiology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Frank Bosmans, Ph.D.
National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Intramural Program
The influence of beta-subunits and sphingomyelin on sodium channel function
Independent Position: Department of Physiology, Johns Hopkins University
Woo-Ping Ge, Ph.D.
University of California - San Francisco
Local proliferation of glia and their interaction with blood vessels
Jesse H. Goldberg, M.D., Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Basal Ganglia-Thalamic Interactions in Behaving Songbirds During Learning
Independent Position: Department of Neurobiology, Cornell University
Maria Lehtinen, Ph.D.
Children's Hospital - Boston
Cerebrospinal fluid proteome mediated signaling in the developing CNS
Independent Position: Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital - Boston
Jason D. Shepherd, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Role of Arc in synaptic/experience-dependent plasticity in mouse visual cortex
Independent Position: Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah
Jill C. Wildonger, Ph.D.
University of California - San Francisco
Role of microtubule-based transport in neuronal polarity
Independent Position: Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin Madison

Council Dates: October 2009 – May 2010

Edward Chang, M.D.
University of California - San Francisco
Neocortical Mechanisms of Categorical Speech Perception
Independent Position: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California - San Francisco
Joseph D. Dougherty, Ph.D.
Rockefeller University
Serotonin, Autism, and investigating cell types for CNS disorders
Independent Position: Genetics Department, Washington University
Eun Jung Hwang, Ph.D.
California Institute of Technology
Top-Down vs Bottom-Up Information Flow in the Parietofrontal Network for Reaching
Toshi Kawate, Ph.D.
National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Intramural Program
Structure/function of P2Xreceptors: ion access pathway and selectivity mechanism
Independent Position: Department of Molecular Medicine, Cornell University
Mufeng Li, Ph.D.
National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Intramural Program
Mechanism of Gating and Dynamic Selectivity of Trimeric Ion Channels Perception
Wenqin Luo, M.D., Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University
Identification, Development and Function of Rapidly Adapting Mechanoreceptors
Independent Position: Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania
Jodi L. McBride, Ph.D.
Oregon Health and Science University
RNAi therapy for Huntingtons disease: safety & efficacy in the nonhuman primate
Independent Position: Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University
Julie Siegenthaler, Ph.D.
University of California - San Francisco
Forebrain angiogenesis in Foxc1mutant mice
Independent Position: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital - Denver
Vivek J. Srinivasan, Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Functional Optical Coherence Tomography for Imaging of Cortical Hemodynamics
Independent Position: Department of Radiology, Harvard University
Joel L. Voss, Ph.D.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Neural systems for the dynamic use of memory
Independent Position: Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University
Xinnan Wang, Ph.D.
Children's Hospital Boston
Dys-regulation of Mitochondrial Motility in Parkinsonian Neurodegeneration
Independent Position: Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University
Kareem A. Zaghloul, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania
Neural Mechanisms of Reinforcement Learning in the Basal Ganglia
Independent Position: Neurological Surgery, NINDS

Council Dates: October 2008 – May 2009

Antoine Adamantidis, Ph.D.
Stanford University
Probing of Hypothalamic circuits in arousal using optogenetics
Independent Position: Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal
Benjamin R. Arenkiel, Ph.D.
Duke University
Activity Influence on Adult-Born Neuron Circuit Integration
Independent Position: Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
Mark Beenhakker, Ph.D.
Stanford University
Enhanced excitation and epilepsy with chloride channel dysfunction
Independent Position: Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia
David W. Colby, Ph.D.
University of California - San Francisco
Detection and structural analysis of misfolded proteins causing neurodegeneration
Independent Position: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware
Janghoo Lim, Ph.D.
Baylor College of Medicine
The role of Nemo-like kinase in neurodegeneration
Independent Position: Department of Genetics, Yale University
Mladen-Roko Rasin, M.D., Ph.D.
Yale University
Molecular Control of Corticospinal System Formation by Intermediate Targets
Independent Position: Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Renee D. Read, Ph.D.
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Revealing new regulators of EGFR-P13K driven glioma proliferation and migration
Independent Position: Department of Pharmacology, Emory University
Daniel S. Reich, M.D., Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University
Discovery of Functionally Relevant Imaging Biomarkers in Multiple Sclerosis
Independent Position: Neuroimmunology Branch, NINDS
Luke R. Remage-Healey, Ph.D.
University of California Los Angeles
Modulation of forebrain circuits by local neurosteroid production
Independent Position: Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Debra L. Silver, Ph.D.
National Human Genome Research Institute
Analysis of the Exon Junction Complex in Neural Development and Microcephaly
Independent Position: Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University
Justin W. Taraska, Ph.D.
University of Washington
Structural dynamics of the proteins involved in calcium-triggered exocytosis
Independent Position: Biochemistry and Biophysics Center, NHLBI
Sokol Todi, Ph.D.
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Posttranslational Modification of Deubiquitinating Enzymes in Neurodegeneration
Independent Position: Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University
Huaye Zhang, Ph.D.
University of Virginia Charlottesville
The PAR-6/aPKC Polarity Complex in Synaptic Assembly and Function
Independent Position: Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology , UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Council Dates: October 2007 – May 2008

Anthony Antonellis, Ph.D.
National Human Genome Research Institute Intramural Program
Genetic and genomic approaches for studying inherited peripheral neuropathies
Independent Position: Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan
William B. Cafferty, Ph.D.
Yale University
Plasticity of intact circuits restores function after a spinal cord injury
Independent Position: Department of Neurology, Yale University
Joanna Chiu, Ph.D.
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
The role of clock protein phosphorylation and degradation in circadian biology
Independent Position: Department of Entomology, University of California Davis
C. Andrew Frank, Ph.D.
University of California - San Francisco
How Ephexin Signaling Promotes Neuronal Stability
Independent Position: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa
Marc Halterman, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Rochester
Defining neurotherapeutic targets in hypoxia-induced CHOP-10 signaling networks
Independent Position: Department of Neurology, University of Rochester
Hiroyuki Koizumi, Ph.D.
University of California – San Diego
Doublecortin: career development plan in the neurosciences
Independent Position: Department of Cell Biology, Osaka Bioscience Institute
Takako Makita, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University
Role of endothelins in SCG axon guidance
Independent Position: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Kathleen O'Connor-Giles, Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin Madison
Regulation of synaptic growth and plasticity in Drosophila
Independent Position: Department of Genetics, University of Wisconsin Madison
Michael Orger, Ph.D.
Harvard University
Revealing neural circuits that control visually guided behavior
Independent Position: Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Lisbon
Monica Perez, Ph.D.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Intramural Program
Intermanual transfer of learning in healthy and spinal cord injured individuals
Independent Position: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh
David Prober, Ph.D.
Harvard University
Genetic analysis of sleep disorders in zebrafish
Independent Position: Department of Biology, California Institute of Technology
Avital Rodal, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Structure and regulation of synaptic architecture
Independent Position: Department of Biology, Brandeis University
Orie Shafer, Ph.D.
Washington University
Circuitry and Modulation of the Circardian Clock Network of D. melanogaster
Independent Position: Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan
Anastassios Tzingounis, Ph.D.
University of California – San Francisco
Molecular components of the calcium activated slow afterhyperpolarization
Independent Position: Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, University of Connecticut
Jiou Wang, Ph.D.
Yale University
Mechanism of SOD1-linked ALS studied in C elegans and mouse models
Independent Position: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University

Council Dates: October 2006 – May 2007

Adan Aguirre, Ph.D.
Children's Research Institute
A role for EGF receptor signaling in oligodendrocyte development and repair
Independent Position: Department of Pharmacology, State University New York Stony Brook
Michael Baldwin, Ph.D.
Medical College of Wisconsin
Interaction of Botulinum neurotoxins with presynaptic receptor complexes
Independent Position: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, University of Missouri-Columbia
Karen Chang, Ph.D.
Indiana University
Role of nebula/DSCR1 in mitochondria
Independent Position: Department of Cell and Neurobiology, University of Southern California
Daniel Colon-Ramos, Ph.D.
Stanford University
Synaptic target selection in the thermotaxis neural circuit of C. elegans
Independent Position: Department of Genetics, Yale University
Bianxiao Cui, Ph.D.
Stanford University
Imaging nerve growth factor signal transduction in live neurons
Independent Position: Department of Chemistry, Stanford University
Matthew Gentry, Ph.D.
University of California - San Diego
Use of Novel Model Systems Link Floridean Starch Metabolism to Lafora Disease
Independent Position: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, University of Kentucky
Edward Huey, M.D.
National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Intramural Program
Investigation of the dopamine system in frontotemporal dementia
Independent Position: Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Columbia University
Michaela Jansen, Ph.D.
Yeshiva University
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Structure, Thermal Motion and Gating
Independent Position: Department of Cellular Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Xiaoming Jin, Ph.D.
Stanford University
Excitatory and Inhibitory Synaptic Connectivity in Posttraumatic Epileptogenesis
Independent Position: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Purdue University - Indianapolis
Fred Robinson, Ph.D.
University of California - San Diego
Roles of Myotubularin PI 3-phosphatases in Demyelinating Peripheral Neuropathy
Independent Position: Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University
Antonina Roll-Mecak, Ph.D.
University of California - San Francisco
Elucidation of the Biochemical Mechanism and In Vivo Functions of Spastin
Independent Position: Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, NINDS
Rodney Stewart, Ph.D.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Neural Crest Cell Survival and Migration in Zebrafish
Independent Position: Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah
Andrew West, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University
The Role of LRRK2 in the Pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease
Independent Position: Department of Neurology, University of Alabama - Birmingham
Zhaolan Zhou, Ph.D.
Children's Hospital Boston
Neuronal Activity-dependent Regulation of MeCP2 Function
Independent Position: Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania

Last updated September 16, 2013