J. Elliott Robinson, MD, PhD

I am a neurobiologist interested in the cognitive symptoms of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and other Rasopathies, which involve altered cell signaling by the Ras family of proteins. My lab investigates the structure and function of neural circuits involved in reward, motivation and attention in mouse models of NF1 using cutting-edge systems neuroscience technologies. These technologies include genetically encoded calcium and neurotransmitter sensors, optogenetics, patch clamp electrophysiology and viral vector-based circuit mapping techniques. Additionally, I am working to develop systemic adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapies to restore normal brain function in NF1 and other Rasopathies. These efforts and future research plans are shaped by my strong interest in improving children's lives through translational neuroscience.

I received my bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in 2007, followed by my MD and PhD from the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2016. I was a post-doctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Viviana Gradinaru at Caltech from 2016-2020, where I studied dopaminergic circuit dysfunction in NF1. I joined the Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology in 2020.

I am honored to be a Simons Foundation Bridge to Independence Awardee (2019). Previously, I received the Children's Tumor Foundation’s Young Investigator Award (2016), and I am a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society (2016).