This page celebrates the recipients of the Sammy Kuo Awards in Neuroscience, recognizing exceptional research by Stanford graduate students and postdocs. Below, you'll find a complete list of awardees and their nominated papers.
2024
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Photo by Saul Bromberger
Postdoctoral Fellows
| Award | Awardee | Paper |
|---|---|---|
| Paper of the Year (First Place) | Dian Lyu (Parvizi Lab) | "Causal evidence for the processing of bodily self in the anterior precuneus" - Neuron, 2023 |
| Second Place | Shuai Wang (Südhof Lab) | "Alternative splicing of latrophilin-3 controls synapse formation" - Nature, 2024 |
| Third Place | Matthew McCoy (Fire Lab) | "Parallel gene size and isoform expansion of ancient neuronal genes" - Current biology : CB, 2024 |
| Honorable Mention | Chuchu Wang (Brunger Lab) | "Structure and topography of the synaptic V-ATPase-synaptophysin complex" - Nature, 2024 |
| Honorable Mention | Xiao Yang & Csaba Forro (Cui and Pasca Labs) | "Kirigami electronics for long-term electrophysiological recording of human neural organoids and assembloids" - Nature, 2024 |
Graduate Students
| Award | Awardee | Paper |
|---|---|---|
| Paper of the Year (First Place) | Uche Medoh (Abu-Remaileh Lab) | "The Batten disease gene product CLN5 is the lysosomal bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate synthase" - Science, 2023 |
| Second Place | Chuanyun Xu (Luo Lab) | "Molecular and cellular mechanisms of teneurin signaling in synaptic partner matching" - Cell, 2024 |
| Third Place | Olivia Gautier (Gitler Lab) | "Challenges of profiling motor neuron transcriptomes from human spinal cord" - Cell, 2023 |
2023
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Postdoctoral Fellows
- Paper of the year - Oliver Hahn, Wyss-Coray Lab
"Atlas of the aging mouse brain reveals white matter as vulnerable foci" - Cell, 2023 - Second Place - Yongjin Yoo, Wernig Lab
"A cell therapy approach to restore microglial Trem2 function in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease" - Nature, 2023 - Third Place - Matthew Pomrenze , Malenka Lab
"Modulation of 5-HT release by dynorphin mediates social deficits during opioid withdrawal" - Neuron, 2023 - Honorable Mention - Yichao Wei, Shah Lab
"Oxytocin receptor is not required for social attachment in prairie voles" - Neuron, 2023 - Honorable Mention - Simon Haziza, Schnitzer Lab
"Dual-polarity voltage imaging of the concurrent dynamics of multiple neuron types" - Science, 2023
Graduate Students
- Paper of the year - John Vaughen, Clandinin Lab
"Glial control of sphingolipid levels sculpts diurnal remodeling in a circadian circuit" - Neuron, 2023 - Second Place - Sofia Essayan-Perez, Sudhof Lab
"Neuronal γ-secretase regulates lipid metabolism, linking cholesterol to synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease" - Neuron, 2023 - Third Place - Alex Gogliettino, Chichilnisky Lab
"High-Fidelity Reproduction of Visual Signals by Electrical Stimulation in the Central Primate Retina" - Journal of Neuroscience, 2023 - Honorable Mention - Lori Dershowitz, Kaltschmidt Lab
"Anatomical and functional maturation of the mid-gestation human enteric nervous system" - Nature, 2023 - Honorable Mention - Daniel Liu, Weissman Lab
"Purification and characterization of human neural stem and progenitor cells" - Cell, 2023
2022
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Postdoctoral Fellows
- Paper of the year - Tal Iram, Wyss-Coray Lab
"Young CSF restores oligodendrogenesis and memory in aged mice via Fgf17" - Nature, 2022 - Second Place - Daniel O'Shea, Shenoy/Henderson Lab
"Cortical preparatory activity indexes learned motor memories" - Nature, 2022 - Third Place - Omer Revah, Felicity Gore, and Kevin Kelley, Pasca Lab
"Maturation and circuit integration of transplanted human cortical organoids" - Nature, 2022
Graduate Students
- Paper of the year - Xulu Sun, Shenoy Lab
"Cortical preparatory activity indexes learned motor memories" - Nature, 2022 - Second Place - Avin Veerakumar, Krasnow Lab
"Molecularly defined circuits for cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary control" - Nature, 2022 - Third Place - Amelie Schafer, Kuhl Lab
"Bayesian Physics-Based Modeling of Tau Propagation in Alzheimer's Disease" - Frontiers in Physiology, 2022 - Honorable Mention - Emily Kubota, Grill-Spector Lab
"White matter connections of high-level visual areas predict cytoarchitecture better than category-selectivity in childhood, but not adulthood" - Cerebral Cortex, 2022
2021
Postdoctoral Fellows
- Paper of the Year – Frank Willett, Henderson/Shenoy Lab
"High-performance brain-to-text communication via handwriting" - Nature, 2021 - Second Place - Maya Mao-Nof, Gitler Lab
"p53 is a central regulator driving neurodegeneration caused by C9orf72 poly(PR)" - Cell, 2021 - Third Place Finalist - Daniel Pederick, Luo Lab
"Reciprocal repulsions instruct the precise assembly of parallel hippocampal networks" - Science, 2021 - Honorable Mention - Jinye Dai, Sudhof Lab
"GluD1 is a signal transduction device disguised as an ionotropic receptor" - Nature, 2021
Graduate Students
- Paper of the Year - Eddy Albarran, Ding/Shatz Lab
"Enhancing motor learning by increasing the stability of newly formed dendritic spines in the motor cortex" - Neuron, 2021 - Second Place - Isabel Low, Giocomo Lab
"Dynamic and reversible remapping of network representations in an unchanging environment" - Neuron, 2021 - Third Place - Sam Vesuna and Isaac Kauvar (joint), Deisseroth Lab
"Deep posteromedial cortical rhythm in dissociation" - Nature, 2020 - Honorable Mention - Kevin Guttenplan, Gilter & Barres Lab
"Neurotoxic reactive astrocytes induce cell death via saturated lipids” - Nature, 2021
2020
Postdoctoral Fellows
- Paper of the Year - Sayaka Inoue, Shah Lab
"Periodic remodeling in a neural circuit governs timing of female sexual behavior" - Cell, 2019 - Second Place - Francis Willett, Shenoy Lab
"Hand knob area of premotor cortex represents the whole body in a compositional way" - Cell, 2020 - Third Place Finalist (tie) - Eleanor Cole, Hardan Lab
"Stanford accelerated intelligent neuromodulation therapy for treatment resistant depression" - American Journal of Psychiatry, 2020 - Third Place Finalist (tie) - Sergey Stavisky, Henderson Lab
"Neural ensemble dynamics in dorsal motor cortex during speech in people with paralysis" - eLIFE, 2019 - Honorable Mention - Omer Revah, Pasca Lab
"Neuronal defects in a human cellular model of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome" - Nature Medicine, 2020
Graduate Students
- Paper of the Year - Jiefu Li and Shuo Han (joint co-authors), Luo Lab and Beachy Lab
"Cell-surface proteomic profiling in the fly brain uncovers wiring regulators" _ Cell, 2020 - Second Place - Xiang Wu, Hong Lab
"Sono-optogenetics facilitated by a circulation-delivered rechargeable light source for minimally invasive optogenetics" - PNAS, 2019 - Third Place - Colleen Rhoades, Chichilnisky Lab
"Unusual physiological properties of smooth monostratified ganglion cell types in primate retina" - Neuron, 2019 - Honorable Mention - Themasap Khan, Pasca Lab
"Neuronal defects in a human cellular model of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome" - Nature Medicine, 2020 - Honorable Mention - Cosmos Wang, Sudhof Lab
"A synaptic circuit required for acquisition but not recall of social transmission of food preference" - Neuron, 2020
2019
Postdoctoral Fellows
- Paper of the Year - Yuan Zhang, Menon Lab
"Development of human emotion circuits investigated using a Big-Data analytic approach: Stability, reliability, and robustness" - Journal of Neuroscience, 2019 - Second Place - Eric Trautmann, Shenoy Lab
"Accurate Estimation of Neural Population Dynamics without Spike Sorting" - Neuron, 2019 - Third Place - Lu Sun, Clandinin Lab
"Spatiotemporal Control of CNS Myelination by Oligodendrocyte Programmed Cell Death through the TFEB-PUMA Axis" - Cell, 2019 - Honorable Mention - Eva Fischer, O'Connell Lab
"The neural basis of tadpole transport in poison frogs" - The Royal Society Publishing, 2019
Graduate Students
- Paper of the Year - Biafra Ahanonu, Scherrer and Schnitzer Lab
"An amygdalar neural ensemble that encodes the unpleasantness of pain" - Science, 2019 - Second Place - Jeffrey Wang, Airan Lab
"Noninvasive Ultrasonic Drug Uncaging Maps Whole-Brain Functional Networks" - Neuron, 2018 - Third Place - William Allen, Deisseroth Lab
"Thirst regulates motivated behavior through modulation of brainwide neural population dynamics" - Science, 2019 - Honorable Mention - Daniel Birman, Gardner Lab
"A flexible readout mechanism of human sensory representations" - Nature, 2019 - Honorable Mention - Gregor Bieri, Gilter Lab
"LRRK2 modifies α-syn pathology and spread in mouse models and human neurons" - Acta Neuropathologica, 2019
2018
Postdoctoral Fellows
- Paper of the Year - Jessica Walsh, Malenka Lab
"5-HT release in nucleus accumbens rescues social deficits in mouse autism model" - Nature, 2018 - Second Place - Jones Parker, Schnitzer Lab
"Diametric neural ensemble dynamics in parkinsonian and dyskinetic states" - Nature, 2018 - Third Place - William Giardino, de Lecea Lab
"Parallel circuits from the bed nuclei of stria terminalis to the lateral hypothalamus drive opposing emotional states" - Nature, 2018 - Honorable Mention - Humsa Venkatesh - Monje Lab
"Targeting neuronal activity-regulated neuroligin-3 dependency in high-grade glioma" - Nature, 2017
Graduate Students
- Paper of the Year - Lindsay Salay - Huberman Lab
"A midline thalamic circuit determines reactions to visual threat" - Nature, 2018 - Second Place - Caitlin Mallory - Giocomo Lab
"Grid scale drives the scale and long-term stability of place maps" - Nature, 2018 - Third Place - Saurabh Vyas - Shenoy Lab
"Neural Population Dynamics Underlying Motor Learning Transfer" - Neuron, 2018
2017
Postdoctoral Fellows
- Paper of the Year - Tatiana Engel, Boahen and Moore Labs
"Selective modulation of cortical state during spatial attention" - Science, 2016 - Second Place - Mark Wagner, Luo and Schnitzer Labs
"Cerebellar granule cells encode the expectation of reward" - Nature, 2017 - Third Place - Christopher Makinson, Huguenard Lab
"Regulation of thalamic and cortical network synchrony by Scn8a" - Neuron, 2017 - Honorable Mention - Fikri Birey, Jimena Andersen and Christopher Makinson, Pasca and Huguenard Labs
"Assembly of functionally integrated human forebrain spheroids" - Science, 2017
Graduate Students
- Paper of the Year - Lindsay Becker, Gitler Lab
"Therapeutic reduction of ataxin-2 extends lifespan and reduces pathology in TDB-43 mice" - Nature, 2017 - Second Place - Christina Kim, Deisseroth Lab
"Molecular and circuit-dynamical identification of top-down neural mechanisms for restraint of reward seeking" - Cell, 2017 - Third Place - Sergey Stavisky, Shenoy Lab
"Motor cortical visuomotor feedback activity is initially isolated from downstream targets in output-null neural state space dimensions " - Neuron, 2017
2016
Postdoctoral Fellow
- Paper of the year - Peng Li, Krasnow Lab
"The peptidergic control circuit for sighing" - Nature, 2016.
Graduate Student
- Paper of the year - Nicholas Kramer, Gitler Lab
"Spt4 selectively regulates the expression of C9orf72 sense and antisense mutant transcripts" - Science, 2016.
2015
Postdoctoral Fellow
- Paper of the year - Kevin Beier, Malenka and Luo labs
"Circuit architecture of VTA dopamine neurons revealed by systematic input-output mapping" - Cell, 2013
Graduate Student
- Paper of the year - Kiah Hardcastle, Giocomo lab
"Environmental boundaries as an error correction mechanism for grid cells" - Neuron, 2015
2014
Postdoctoral Fellow
- Paper of the year - Han Mi Lee, Shatz lab
"Synapse elimination and learning rules co-regulated by MHC class I H2-Db" - Nature, 2014
Graduate Student
- Paper of the year - Matthew Figley, Gitler lab
"Profilin 1 associates with stress granules and ALS-linked mutations alter stress granule dynamic" - Journal of Neuroscience, 2014
2013
Postdoctoral Fellow
- Paper of the year - Nan Yang, Wernig lab
"Generation of oligodendroglial cells by direct lineage conversion" - Nature Biotechnology, 2013.
Graduate Student
- Paper of the Year - Casey Guenther, Luo lab
"Permanent genetic access to transiently active neurons via TRAP: targeted recombination in active populations" - Neuron, 2013
2012
Postdoctoral Fellow
- Papers of the Year - Nicola Allen, Barres lab
"Astrocyteglypicans 4 and 6 promote formation of excitatory synapses via GluA1 and AMPA receptors" - Nature, 2012 - Papers of the Year - Sergiu Pasca, Dolmetsch lab
"Using iPSC-derived neurons to uncover cellular phenotypes associated with Timothy syndrome" - Nature Medicine, 2012
Graduate Student
- Paper of the Year - Poh Hui Chia, Shen lab
"NAB-1 instructs synapse assembly by linking adhesion molecules and F-actin to active zone proteins" - Nature Neuroscience, 2012
2011
Postdoctoral Fellow
- Paper of the Year - Kazunari Miyamichi, Luo lab
“Cortical representations of olfactory input by trans-synaptic tracing” - Nature, 2011
Graduate Student
- Paper of the Year - Saul Villeda, Wyss-Coray lab
“The aging systemic milieu negatively regulates neurogenesis and cognitive function” - Nature, 2011
2010
Postdoctoral Fellow
- Paper of the Year - Mark Churchland, Shenoy lab
“Stimulus onset quenches neural variability: a widespread cortical phenomenon” - Nature Neuroscience, 2010
Graduate Student
- Paper of the Year- Laura Prolo, Reimer lab
“The lysosomal sialic acid transporter sialin is required for normal CNS myelination” - Journal of Neuroscience, 2009
2009
Postdoctoral Fellow
- Paper of the Year, Qi Zhang, Tsien lab
“The dynamic control of kiss-and-run and vesicular reuse probed with single nanoparticles” - Science, 2009
Graduate Student
- Paper of the Year, Viviana Gradinaru and Murtaza Mogri, Deisseroth lab
“Optical deconstruction of Parkinsonian neural circuitry” - Science, 2009
2008
Postdoctoral Fellow
- Paper of the Year - Antoine Adamantidis, de Lecea lab
“Neural substrates of awakening probed with optogenetic control of hypocretin neurons” - Nature, 2007
Graduate Student
- Paper of the Year - Alex Katsov, Clandinin lab
“Motion processing streams in Drosophila are behaviorally specialized” - Neuron, 2008