Jess Cardin, PhD

Jessica A. Cardin, PhD is the Gordon M. Shepherd Professor of Neuroscience in the Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry at Yale University. Research in the Cardin lab is focused on the development, function, and dysfunction of cortical circuits that support sensory processing, cognition, and behavior. Dr. Cardin’s group uses a multilevel experimental and computational approach that combines in vivo intracellular and extracellular electrophysiology, 1- and 2-photon imaging, behavioral analysis, and modeling to examine the mechanisms underlying functional flexibility in cortical circuits and how these are impaired in disease states. The overall goal of this work is to better understand how the brain adapts quickly to changes in context and cognitive demands and to identify potential targets for therapeutic intervention in disease.

Prior to joining the faculty at Yale, Dr. Cardin completed postdoctoral work under the mentorship of Dr. Diego Contreras at the University of Pennsylvania, where she examined synaptic integration underlying sensory responses in the cat visual cortex. Following this initial work, she went on to a second postdoctoral stint in the lab of Dr. Christopher Moore at MIT, where she used newly developed optogenetics tools to investigate the role of interneurons in patterned activity in cortical circuits.

Dr. Cardin received her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania working in the lab of Dr. Marc Schmidt, where she examined how behavioral state modulates auditory responses in the song system. She received her Batchelor’s degree in biology with a concentration in neuroscience from Cornell University.

Dr. Cardin’s work has been recognized with several honors, including the Klingenstein Fellowship Award, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship, the Smith Family Award for Excellence in Biomedical Research, the McKnight Scholar Award, and a Novartis Global Scholar Award.