William R. Stauffer, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology, has received an NIH Director’s New Innovator award (DP2). His research proposal combines novel behavioral research in monkeys, based on optimization theory, with advanced optogenetics and neurophysiology techniques to reveal how the brain processes reward information.  The ability to determine the most valuable rewards is critical in daily life, but is characteristically flawed in disorders such as depression and schizophrenia. Stauffer’s study is intended to reveal the neural algorithms used to optimize value and uncover the types of neurons involved. It is hoped that these results will provide mechanistic insights into neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, and contribute to the foundation of circuit-based therapy to correct reward-processing deficits. (Potential postdocs who are interested in this area of study are encouraged to contact Stauffer.)

Stauffer received his BS in neuroscience (2003) and PhD in bioengineering (2009) at Pitt. During his graduate studies in Tracy Cui’s lab, he focused on the interface between neural tissue and electrodes.  His research developed methods to promote neural adhesion and to precisely deliver neuroactive chemicals to study information flow in a network. In 2009, he became a postdoc in Wolfram Schultz’s behavioral neuroscience laboratory at the University of Cambridge, where he investigated neural coding of economic variables, and developed a technique to enable cell-type specific optogenetics in dopamine neurons of monkeys. Stauffer joined the Pitt faculty in September 2015. He is lead author of a paper in the September 8 issue of Cell ("Dopamine Neuron-Specific Optogenetic Stimulation in Rhesus Macaques").

NIH traditionally supports research projects, not individual investigators. However, the New Innovator program seeks to identify young scientists with ideas that have the potential for high impact. These awards encourage creative, outside-the-box thinkers to pursue exciting and innovative ideas in biomedical research. This year, NIH issued 48 New Innovator awards.