Viviana Gradinaru

Director, Center for Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience

Viviana Gradinaru completed her BS at Caltech and did her PhD research at Stanford University. She is now a professor of neuroscience and biological engineering and Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator at Caltech.

Gradinaru's research focuses on investigating the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration, its affected behaviors, and relevant interventions such as deep brain stimulation. Her group also develops tools and methods for use in neuroscience, such as optogenetic actuators and sensors, tissue clearing and imaging, and gene-delivery vehicles.

Gradinaru serves as the faculty director of Caltech's Beckman Institute for CLARITY, Optogenetics, and Vector Engineering Research (CLOVER). She received the NIH Director's New Innovator Award and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, and has been honored as a World Economic Forum Young Scientist and as one of Cell's 40 under 40. Gradinaru is also a Sloan Fellow, Pew Scholar, Moore Inventor, Vallee Scholar, and Allen Brain Institute NGL Council Member. She received the inaugural Peter Gruss Young Investigator Award by the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience. In 2017 she was the Early-Career Scientist Winner in the Innovators in Science Award in Neuroscience (Takeda and the New York Academy of Sciences) and in 2018 she received a Gill Transformative award. In 2020 she was the recipient of the Vilcek Foundation Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science and was named the winner of Science Magazine & PINS Prize for Neuromodulation, her essay in Science Magazine is available here.

Gradinaru, Viviana (2020) Expanding the brain researcher's toolkit Science; Vol. 369; No. 6504; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20200810-121624161
Ravindra Kumar, Sripriya; Miles, Timothy F. et al. (2020) Multiplexed Cre-dependent selection yields systemic AAVs for targeting distinct brain cell types Nature Methods; Vol. 17; No. 5; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20200121-141523675
Seo, Jai Woong; Ingham, Elizabeth S. et al. (2020) Positron emission tomography imaging of novel AAV capsids maps rapid brain accumulation Nature Communications; Vol. 11; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20200504-132509459
Rauch, Jennifer N.; Luna, Gabriel et al. (2020) LRP1 is a master regulator of tau uptake and spread Nature; Vol. 580; No. 7803; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20200220-151529138
Yao, Shenqin; Yuan, Peng et al. (2020) RecV recombinase system for in vivo targeted optogenomic modifications of single cells or cell populations Nature Methods; Vol. 17; No. 4; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20190220-102621411
Challis, Collin; Hori, Acacia et al. (2020) Gut-seeded α-synuclein fibrils promote gut dysfunction and brain pathology specifically in aged mice Nature Neuroscience; Vol. 23; No. 3; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20191209-154036633
Sampson, Timothy R.; Challis, Collin et al. (2020) A gut bacterial amyloid promotes α-synuclein aggregation and motor impairment in mice eLife; Vol. 9; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20200218-134259315
Ueda, Hiroki R.; Ertürk, Ali et al. (2020) Tissue clearing and its applications in neuroscience Nature Reviews. Neuroscience; Vol. 21; No. 2; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20200106-082556970
Song, Anying; Dai, Wenting et al. (2020) Low- and high-thermogenic brown adipocyte subpopulations coexist in murine adipose tissue Journal of Clinical Investigation; Vol. 130; No. 1; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20191203-132507070
Patriarchi, Tommaso; Cho, Jounhong Ryan et al. (2019) Imaging neuromodulators with high spatiotemporal resolution using genetically encoded indicators Nature Protocols; Vol. 14; No. 12; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20190801-132221928
Bedbrook, Claire N.; Yang, Kevin K. et al. (2019) Machine learning-guided channelrhodopsin engineering enables minimally-invasive optogenetics Nature Methods; Vol. 16; No. 11; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20190304-085432637
Robinson, J. Elliott; Coughlin, Gerard M. et al. (2019) Optical dopamine monitoring with dLight1 reveals mesolimbic phenotypes in a mouse model of neurofibromatosis type 1 eLife; Vol. 8; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20190930-133756080
Ramirez-Zamora, Adolfo; Gradinaru, Viviana (2019) Proceedings of the Sixth Deep Brain Stimulation Think Tank Modulation of Brain Networks and Application of Advanced Neuroimaging, Neurophysiology, and Optogenetics Frontiers in Neuroscience; Vol. 13; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20190926-135813898
Oikonomou, Grigorios; Altermatt, Michael et al. (2019) The Serotonergic Raphe Promote Sleep in Zebrafish and Mice Neuron; Vol. 103; No. 4; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20190624-113552525
Rajendran, Pradeep S.; Challis, Rosemary C. et al. (2019) Identification of peripheral neural circuits that regulate heart rate using optogenetic and viral vector strategies Nature Communications; Vol. 10; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20181107-092306925
Zeng, Jianxiong; Wang, Yaoming et al. (2019) TRIM9-Mediated Resolution of Neuroinflammation Confers Neuroprotection upon Ischemic Stroke in Mice Cell Reports; Vol. 27; No. 2; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20190409-100816489
Challis, Rosemary C.; Ravindra Kumar, Sripriya et al. (2019) Systemic AAV vectors for widespread and targeted gene delivery in rodents Nature Protocols; Vol. 14; No. 2; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20180816-125507808
Mano, Tomoyuki; Albanese, Alexandre et al. (2018) Whole-Brain Analysis of Cells and Circuits by Tissue Clearing and Light-Sheet Microscopy Journal of Neuroscience; Vol. 38; No. 44; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20181105-084438080
Arbabi, Ehsan; Li, Jiaqi et al. (2018) Two-photon microscopy with a double-wavelength metasurface objective lens Nano Letters; Vol. 18; No. 8; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20180717-145659939
Bedbrook, Claire N.; Deverman, Benjamin E. et al. (2018) Viral Strategies for Targeting the Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems Annual Review of Neuroscience; Vol. 41; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20180507-085656725
Patriarchi, Tommaso; Cho, Jounhong Ryan et al. (2018) Ultrafast neuronal imaging of dopamine dynamics with designed genetically encoded sensors Science; Vol. 360; No. 6396; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20180601-103720713
Zelikowsky, Moriel; Hui, May et al. (2018) The Neuropeptide Tac2 Controls a Distributed Brain State Induced by Chronic Social Isolation Stress Cell; Vol. 173; No. 5; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20180518-105323206
Gradinaru, Viviana; Treweek, Jennifer et al. (2018) Hydrogel-Tissue Chemistry: Principles and Applications Annual Review of Biophysics; Vol. 47; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20180529-083813817
Robinson, J. Elliott; Gradinaru, Viviana (2018) Dopaminergic dysfunction in neurodevelopmental disorders: recent advances and synergistic technologies to aid basic research Current Opinion in Neurobiology; Vol. 48; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20170918-075519928
Ruan, Haowen; Brake, Joshua et al. (2017) Deep tissue optical focusing and optogenetic modulation with time-reversed ultrasonically encoded light Science Advances; Vol. 3; No. 12; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20171107-132336726
Gradinaru, Viviana (2017) Overriding sleep Science; Vol. 358; No. 6362; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20171127-142458372
Bedbrook, Claire N.; Yang, Kevin K. et al. (2017) Machine learning to design integral membrane channelrhodopsins for efficient eukaryotic expression and plasma membrane localization PLOS Computational Biology; Vol. 13; No. 10; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20171030-140148566
Nath, Ravi D.; Bedbrook, Claire N. et al. (2017) The Jellyfish Cassiopea Exhibits a Sleep-like State Current Biology; Vol. 27; No. 19; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20170921-075913502
Greenbaum, Alon; Jang, Min J. et al. (2017) Q&A: How can advances in tissue clearing and optogenetics contribute to our understanding of normal and diseased biology? BMC Biology; Vol. 15; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20170926-130537624
Chan, Ken Y.; Jang, Min J. et al. (2017) Engineered AAVs for efficient noninvasive gene delivery to the central and peripheral nervous systems Nature Neuroscience; Vol. 20; No. 8; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20170626-152125765
Cho, Jounhong Ryan; Treweek, Jennifer B. et al. (2017) Dorsal Raphe Dopamine Neurons Modulate Arousal and Promote Wakefulness by Salient Stimuli Neuron; Vol. 94; No. 6; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20170609-094413808
Allen, William E.; Kauvar, Isaac V. et al. (2017) Global Representations of Goal-Directed Behavior in Distinct Cell Types of Mouse Neocortex Neuron; Vol. 94; No. 4; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20170522-103736207
Greenbaum, Alon; Chan, Ken Y. et al. (2017) Bone CLARITY: Clearing, imaging, and computational analysis of osteoprogenitors within intact bone marrow Science Translational Medicine; Vol. 9; No. 387; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20161221-135116035
Bedbrook, Claire N.; Rice, Austin J. et al. (2017) Structure-guided SCHEMA recombination generates diverse chimeric channelrhodopsins Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; Vol. 114; No. 13; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20170310-130542741
Herwig, Lukas; Rice, Austin J. et al. (2017) Directed Evolution of a Bright Near-Infrared Fluorescent Rhodopsin Using a Synthetic Chromophore Cell Chemical Biology; Vol. 24; No. 3; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20170307-082231020
Mazmanian, Sarkis K.; Sampson, Timothy R. et al. (2016) Gut Microbiota Regulate Motor Deficits and Neuroinflammation in a Model of Parkinson's Disease Cell; Vol. 167; No. 6; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20161115-114016210
Fairhall, Adrienne; Svoboda, Karel et al. (2016) Global Collaboration, Learning from Other Fields Neuron; Vol. 92; No. 3; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20161128-093036959
Pan, Min; Reid, Michael A. et al. (2016) Regional glutamine deficiency in tumours promotes dedifferentiation through inhibition of histone demethylation Nature Cell Biology; Vol. 18; No. 10; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20160920-092113773
DePas, William H.; Starwalt-Lee, Ruth et al. (2016) Exposing the Three-Dimensional Biogeography and Metabolic States of Pathogens in Cystic Fibrosis Sputum via Hydrogel Embedding, Clearing, and rRNA Labeling mBio; Vol. 7; No. 5; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20160927-144217261
Shah, Sheel; Lubeck, Eric et al. (2016) Single-molecule RNA detection at depth via hybridization chain reaction and tissue hydrogel embedding and clearing Development; Vol. 143; No. 15; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20160628-085406782
Treweek, Jennifer Brooke; Gradinaru, Viviana (2016) Extracting structural and functional features of widely distributed biological circuits with single cell resolution via tissue clearing and delivery vectors Current Opinion in Biotechnology; Vol. 40; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20160712-101339180
Xiao, Cheng; Cho, Jounhong Ryan et al. (2016) Cholinergic Mesopontine Signals Govern Locomotion and Reward through Dissociable Midbrain Pathways Neuron; Vol. 90; No. 2; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20160420-090626768
Deverman, Benjamin E.; Pravdo, Piers L. et al. (2016) Cre-dependent selection yields AAV variants for widespread gene transfer to the adult brain Nature Biotechnology; Vol. 34; No. 2; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20160201-131537838
Gradinaru, Viviana; Flytzanis, Nicholas C. (2016) Fluorescent boost for voltage sensors Nature; Vol. 529; No. 7587; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20160202-092152118
Skennerton, Connor T.; Ward, Lewis M. et al. (2015) Genomic Reconstruction of an Uncultured Hydrothermal Vent Gammaproteobacterial Methanotroph (Family Methylothermaceae) Indicates Multiple Adaptations to Oxygen Limitation Frontiers in Microbiology; Vol. 6; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20160108-103050704
Treweek, Jennifer B.; Chan, Ken Y. et al. (2015) Whole-body tissue stabilization and selective extractions via tissue-hydrogel hybrids for high-resolution intact circuit mapping and phenotyping Nature Protocols; Vol. 10; No. 11; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150914-123933415
Bedbrook, Claire N.; Kato, Mihoko et al. (2015) Genetically Encoded Spy Peptide Fusion System to Detect Plasma Membrane-Localized Proteins In Vivo Chemistry and Biology; Vol. 22; No. 8; https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150728-090618874

Publications