Dan Turner-Evans Email & Phone Number

Washington, Dc, Us

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

The STPF Rapid Response Cohort in AI operates under the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships (STPF) program. The AI cohort is comprised of six scientists who serve as expert staff in a congressional office or committee to provide guidance on pressing issues such as AI ethics, information integrity, intellectual property, human rights and algorithmic risk.

Santa Cruz, Ca

Neural circuits are the building blocks of the brain. These small networks of neurons store memories, guide actions, and perform a wide range of other functions. The central questions of the Turner-Evans Lab are: How is a given neural circuit constructed to perform its specific function? What mechanisms do these circuits use that are not yet included in the artificial neural networks that underlie artificial intelligence?

I was inspired to transition to neuroscience after witnessing a friend struggle with bipolar disorder and realizing how little we understand about the brain. At Janelia, I leveraged my training in applied physics and electrical engineering to demonstrate a powerful approach for linking structure to function in neural circuits, focusing on explaining how the brain forms our internal sense of direction. I used my expertise in optics, engineering, and programming to custom build experimental… Show more I was inspired to transition to neuroscience after witnessing a friend struggle with bipolar disorder and realizing how little we understand about the brain. At Janelia, I leveraged my training in applied physics and electrical engineering to demonstrate a powerful approach for linking structure to function in neural circuits, focusing on explaining how the brain forms our internal sense of direction. I used my expertise in optics, engineering, and programming to custom build experimental setups and analyzed my data with python, R, and MATLAB. The experimental techniques that I used included two-photon and confocal microscopy, optogenetics (and a wide array of other genetic techniques), and RNA-seq. Show less

Doctor Of Philosophy (Phd), Applied Physics

Concerned about climate change, I dedicated my PhD to researching new solar cell technologies in the lab of Prof. Harry Atwater..

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Engineering Physics/Applied Physics

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Applied Physics And Electrical Engineering