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Daniel Geschwind

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Daniel H. Geschwind
Alma materDartmouth College, Yale School of Medicine
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsHuman genetics, neurogenetics
InstitutionsUniversity of California, Los Angeles
Doctoral advisorSusan Hockfield

Daniel H. Geschwind is an American physician-scientist whose laboratory has made pioneering discoveries in the biology of brain disorders and the genetic and genomic analyses of the nervous system. His laboratory showed that gene co-expression has a reproducible network structure that can be used to understand neurobiological mechanisms in health, evolution, and disease.[2][3][4] He led the first studies to define the molecular pathology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and several other psychiatric disorders,[5][6][7] and has made major contributions to defining the genetic basis of autism.[8][9][10]

Currently, he is the Gordon and Virginia MacDonald Distinguished Professor of Human Genetics, Neurology and Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He also directs the UCLA Neurogenetics Program and the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART).[11] [12] Since March 1, 2016, he has served as the Senior Associate Dean and Associate Vice Chancellor for Precision Medicine at UCLA.[13]

Education and career

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Geschwind received his A.B. degree in psychology and chemistry at Dartmouth College, and his MD/PhD at Yale School of Medicine under the supervision of Susan Hockfield, graduating Alpha Omega Alpha[14].[12] He then completed an internship at UCLA,[11] and has been a member of the UCLA faculty since 1997.[12]

Currently, he is the Gordon and Virginia MacDonald Distinguished Professor of Human Genetics, Neurology and Psychiatry at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He has served as the Senior Associate Dean and Associate Vice Chancellor for Precision Health at UCLA since March, 2016. He also founded and directs the UCLA Neurogenetics Program and the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART).[15] He has trained over 70 graduate students and post-doctoral research fellows,[16] and is among the highest cited scientists in neurology, neuroscience, systems biology, and precision health (H index > 195).[17] He has been named in Clarivate Analytics’ Highly Cited Researchers list each year since 2017.[18]

Geschwind has served on several scientific advisory boards and review committees, including the Faculty of 1000 Medicine, the Executive Committee of the American Neurological Association, the Scientific Advisory Board for the Allen Institute for Brain Science, the NIMH Advisory Council and the NIH Council of Councils, and served as the first chair of Cure Autism Now's scientific review committee.[19][20] Geschwind has been elected as member of the National Academy of Medicine and the Association of American Physicians.[20]

He has also been the Kavli Distinguished Visiting Professor at UCSD (2007), Visiting Professor at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London (2009-2010), the Wiersma Visiting Professor at Caltech (2012), and a Visiting Scientist at Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge UK (2009-2010) and an Affiliate Professor, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.[21]

Research

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The Geschwind Lab at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine conducts research into three areas: autism and language, human cognitive specializations, and neurodegenerative syndromes.[12][22] The overarching goal of Geschwind’s work is to develop a more mechanistic understanding of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases by integrative analyses that connect human genetic variation to genes and neurobiological pathways. Through functional genomics and large-scale data analyses that permit a more unbiased understanding of disease mechanisms, his laboratory’s research has improved  our understanding of human brain evolution and language, ASD and schizophrenia, repair of the damaged nervous system and neurodegenerative dementias including Frontotemporal Dementia, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Alzheimer’s disease. Together these studies have not only improved understanding of human brain disorders, but they also highlight the power of highly-parallel, high-throughput  biology.[23]

Geschwind has published research on numerous genes involved in language, such as FOXP2, and how they differ between humans and chimpanzees.[24][25] In 2011, he was the senior author of a study that identified chemical differences between the brains of people with autism and those without it.[26] Specifically, the study found common patterns in gene expression in the frontal and temporal lobes of autistic individuals.[27] Additionally, Geschwind is known for his research into factors affecting handedness and the differences in brain structure between left-handed and right-handed people.[28][29]

Geschwind established the modern era of autism genetics research by developing and leading the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE)[30] with the Cure Autism Now Foundation in 1997. AGRE was the first major community resource for genetic research on autism spectrum disorder (ASD), making biomaterials and phenotype data accessible to researchers worldwide. This initiative opened the field to many more researchers and led to significant discoveries, including the role of rare mutations and inherited variations in ASD.[10] He is an advocate for data sharing and is currently chair of the PsychENCODE consortium, a public genomic data resource.

His work in autism genetics and functional genomics has been highly influential, focusing on translating genetic findings into biological understanding. He developed the concept of ASD as a developmental disconnection syndrome, recognizing its extreme heterogeneity and framing it as “the autisms.” Geschwind pioneered the study of language and social endophenotypes in genetic studies and demonstrated how transcriptomic and epigenetic profiling could define the molecular pathology of ASD and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Over the last decade, he has led efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in autism research, spearheading the only genetics study of African Americans, now in its seventh year.[10] Over the last 10 years, he and his collaborators, including John Constantino and Ami Klin, have been working as an Autism Center of Excellence Network[31] to increase the representation of groups that have been historically underrepresented in autism research.[32]

Personal Life

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His brother, Michael Geschwind, is also a professor of neurology. Norman Geschwind, a pioneer in behavioral neurology, is his father’s first cousin. From 1965 to 1982, his father, Stanley Geschwind, served as the head of the Quantum and Solid-State Physics Department at Bell Labs.[33][34][8]

Awards and prizes

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References

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  1. ^ "Daniel Geschwind". NAM Member Profiles.
  2. ^ Winden, Kellen D.; Oldham, Michael C.; Mirnics, Karoly; Ebert, Philip J.; Swan, Christo H.; Levitt, Pat; Rubenstein, John L.; Horvath, Steve; Geschwind, Daniel H. (2009). "The organization of the transcriptional network in specific neuronal classes". Molecular Systems Biology. 5: 291. doi:10.1038/msb.2009.46. ISSN 1744-4292. PMC 2724976. PMID 19638972.
  3. ^ Oldham, Michael C.; Horvath, Steve; Geschwind, Daniel H. (2006-11-21). "Conservation and evolution of gene coexpression networks in human and chimpanzee brains". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 103 (47): 17973–17978. Bibcode:2006PNAS..10317973O. doi:10.1073/pnas.0605938103. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 1693857. PMID 17101986.
  4. ^ Oldham, Michael C.; Konopka, Genevieve; Iwamoto, Kazuya; Langfelder, Peter; Kato, Tadafumi; Horvath, Steve; Geschwind, Daniel H. (November 2008). "Functional organization of the transcriptome in human brain". Nature Neuroscience. 11 (11): 1271–1282. doi:10.1038/nn.2207. ISSN 1546-1726. PMC 2756411. PMID 18849986.
  5. ^ Gandal, Michael J.; Zhang, Pan; Hadjimichael, Evi; Walker, Rebecca L.; Chen, Chao; Liu, Shuang; Won, Hyejung; van Bakel, Harm; Varghese, Merina; Wang, Yongjun; Shieh, Annie W.; Haney, Jillian; Parhami, Sepideh; Belmont, Judson; Kim, Minsoo (2018-12-14). "Transcriptome-wide isoform-level dysregulation in ASD, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder". Science (New York, N.Y.). 362 (6420): eaat8127. Bibcode:2018Sci...362.8127G. doi:10.1126/science.aat8127. ISSN 1095-9203. PMC 6443102. PMID 30545856.
  6. ^ Parikshak, Neelroop N.; Swarup, Vivek; Belgard, T. Grant; Irimia, Manuel; Ramaswami, Gokul; Gandal, Michael J.; Hartl, Christopher; Leppa, Virpi; Ubieta, Luis de la Torre; Huang, Jerry; Lowe, Jennifer K.; Blencowe, Benjamin J.; Horvath, Steve; Geschwind, Daniel H. (2016-12-15). "Genome-wide changes in lncRNA, splicing, and regional gene expression patterns in autism". Nature. 540 (7633): 423–427. Bibcode:2016Natur.540..423P. doi:10.1038/nature20612. ISSN 1476-4687. PMC 7102905. PMID 27919067.
  7. ^ Voineagu, Irina; Wang, Xinchen; Johnston, Patrick; Lowe, Jennifer K.; Tian, Yuan; Horvath, Steve; Mill, Jonathan; Cantor, Rita M.; Blencowe, Benjamin J.; Geschwind, Daniel H. (2011-05-25). "Transcriptomic analysis of autistic brain reveals convergent molecular pathology". Nature. 474 (7351): 380–384. doi:10.1038/nature10110. ISSN 1476-4687. PMC 3607626. PMID 21614001.
  8. ^ a b "Daniel Geschwind: After many detours, on the trail of autism's genetics". The Transmitter: Neuroscience News and Perspectives. 2009-02-17. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  9. ^ a b "Dr. Daniel Geschwind Receives 2012 Ruane Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Autism Research". Dr. Daniel Geschwind Receives 2012 Ruane Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Autism Research | Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  10. ^ a b c d e Lewis, Talia (15 September 2022). "Daniel H. Geschwind Receives National Academy of Medicine's Sarnat Prize for Contributions to Understanding of the Genetics of Autism". National Academy of Medicine (Press release). Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  11. ^ a b c "Daniel H. Geschwind". UCLA Website. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  12. ^ a b c d "Daniel Geschwind". Allen Institute for Brain Science. Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  13. ^ "Daniel H. Geschwind". UCLA Newsroom. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  14. ^ "Daniel Geschwind – UCLA Graduate Programs in Bioscience (GPB)". Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  15. ^ a b "Daniel H. Geschwind, MD - Neurodevelopmental Disorders". www.uclahealth.org. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  16. ^ "Alumni". The Geschwind Lab at UCLA. 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  17. ^ "Dan Geschwind". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  18. ^ "Highly Cited Researchers List 2017 - Top Researchers Around the World". clarivate.com. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  19. ^ Hughes, Virginia (17 February 2009). "Daniel Geschwind: After many detours, on the trail of autism's genetics". Spectrum | Autism Research News. Simons Foundation. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  20. ^ a b "Geschwind". geschwindlab.dgsom.ucla.edu. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  21. ^ a b "Daniel Geschwind, M.D., Ph.D. – UCLA Brain Research Institute (BRI)". Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  22. ^ "The Geschwind Lab". geschwindlab.dgsom.ucla.edu. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  23. ^ "Daniel Geschwind, MD, PhD". UCLA Med School. 2022-02-27. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  24. ^ Keim, Brandon (11 November 2009). "Human-Chimp Gene Comparison Hints at Roots of Language". Wired. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  25. ^ Konopka, Genevieve; Bomar, Jamee M.; Winden, Kellen; Coppola, Giovanni; Jonsson, Zophonias O.; Gao, Fuying; Peng, Sophia; Preuss, Todd M.; Wohlschlegel, James A.; Geschwind, Daniel H. (12 November 2009). "Human-specific transcriptional regulation of CNS development genes by FOXP2". Nature. 462 (7270): 213–217. Bibcode:2009Natur.462..213K. doi:10.1038/nature08549. PMC 2778075. PMID 19907493.
  26. ^ Voineagu, Irina; Wang, Xinchen; Johnston, Patrick; Lowe, Jennifer K.; Tian, Yuan; Horvath, Steve; Mill, Jonathan; Cantor, Rita M.; Blencowe, Benjamin J.; Geschwind, Daniel H. (25 May 2011). "Transcriptomic analysis of autistic brain reveals convergent molecular pathology". Nature. 474 (7351): 380–384. doi:10.1038/nature10110. PMC 3607626. PMID 21614001.
  27. ^ "Autistic brains' 'genes differ'". BBC News. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  28. ^ Klass, Perri (6 March 2011). "On the Left Hand, There Are No Easy Answers". New York Times. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  29. ^ Hotz, Robert Lee (5 March 2002). "Left-Handers Are Found to Have Different Brains". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  30. ^ Geschwind, Daniel H.; Sowinski, Janice; Lord, Catherine; Iversen, Portia; Shestack, Jonathan; Jones, Patrick; Ducat, Lee; Spence, Sarah J. (August 2001). "The Autism Genetic Resource Exchange: A Resource for the Study of Autism and Related Neuropsychiatric Conditions". American Journal of Human Genetics. 69 (2): 463–466. doi:10.1086/321292. ISSN 0002-9297. PMC 1235320. PMID 11452364.
  31. ^ "Newly Awarded Autism Centers of Excellence to Further Autism Research". National Institutes of Health (NIH). 2015-09-15. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  32. ^ "Autism in black and white: NIH grant helps scientist study disorder in African Americans". www.uclahealth.org. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  33. ^ Wolman, David (2006). A Left Hand Turn Around the World. Da Capo Press. p. 195. ISBN 9780786734979.
  34. ^ Geschwind, Michael D. (29 May 2010). "Are you Related to "the Geschwind?"". Neuropsychology Review. 20 (2): 123–125. doi:10.1007/s11065-010-9135-9. ISSN 1040-7308. PMC 2881317. PMID 20512417.
  35. ^ "Society of Biological Psychiatry Gold Medal Award | Society of Biological Psychiatry". Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  36. ^ "Distinguished Investigators". Allen Institute. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  37. ^ "Daniel Geschwind | UCLA Profiles". profiles.ucla.edu. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
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