Daniel Geschwind

Daniel H. Geschwind
Alma materDartmouth College, Yale School of Medicine
Scientific career
FieldsHuman genetics, neurogenetics
WorkplacesUniversity of California, Los Angeles
Susan 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.[1][2][3] He led the first studies to define the molecular pathology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and several other psychiatric disorders,[4][5][6] and has made major contributions to defining the genetic basis of autism.[7][8][9]

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).[10][11] Since March 2016 he has served as the Senior Associate Dean and Associate Vice Chancellor for Precision Health at UCLA.[12]

Education

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.[13][11] He trained at UCLA, where he served an internship in internal medicine, a residency in neurology, and a fellowship in neurogenetics, becoming board-certified in neurology in 1996.[10][14]

Career

Geschwind joined the faculty of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in 1997.[11] He holds the Gordon and Virginia MacDonald Distinguished Professorship in Human Genetics, Neurology and Psychiatry, and directs the UCLA Neurogenetics Program and the Center for Autism Research and Treatment.[10][11]

In March 2016 he was named Senior Associate Dean and Associate Vice Chancellor for Precision Health, a role in which he leads the UCLA Institute for Precision Health and oversees the university's campus-wide precision health initiatives.[12][14]

He has trained over 70 graduate students and post-doctoral research fellows,[15] and is among the highest cited scientists in neurology, neuroscience, systems biology, and precision health (H index > 200 as of 2026).[16] He has been named in Clarivate Analytics' Highly Cited Researchers list each year since 2017[17] and has been elected as member of the National Academy of Medicine and the Association of American Physicians.[18]

Research

The Geschwind Lab at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine conducts research into three areas: autism and neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodegenerative syndromes, and human brain evolution.[11][19]

Through functional genomics and large-scale data analyses that permit a more unbiased understanding of disease mechanisms, his laboratory's research contributed to the 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.[20]

Geschwind developed and led the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE)[21] 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 genetic variation in ASD.[9] A longtime advocate for open data, Geschwind has helped lead several national resource-building efforts. Among these is the PsychENCODE consortium, an NIH-funded program that maps gene regulation in the human brain to advance research on psychiatric illness. He was a senior author of the consortium's capstone analyses, including a 2018 study that catalogued transcriptomic dysregulation shared across autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.[22] Over the last 10 years, he has led efforts with collaborators, including John Constantino and Ami Klin, to increase the representation of groups that have been historically underrepresented in autism research, via an NIH-funded Autism Center of Excellence Network that recruits African Americans with autism.[9]

His work in autism genetics and functional genomics has been highly influential by 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. 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.[23] Specifically, the study found common patterns in gene expression in the frontal and temporal lobes of autistic individuals. Geschwind has published research on numerous genes involved in language and human brain evolution, such as FOXP2, and how they differ between humans and chimpanzees. Additionally, Geschwind is known for his research into factors affecting handedness and the differences in brain structure between left-handed and right-handed people.

Personal life

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.[24][25][7]

Awards and prizes

Selected publications

  • Abrahams, Brett S.; Geschwind, Daniel H. (2008). "Advances in autism genetics: on the threshold of a new neurobiology". Nature Reviews Genetics. 9 (5): 341–355. doi:10.1038/nrg2346. PMC 2756414. PMID 18414403.
  • Geschwind, Daniel H.; Levitt, Pat (2007). "Autism spectrum disorders: developmental disconnection syndromes". Current Opinion in Neurobiology. 17 (1): 103–111. doi:10.1016/j.conb.2007.01.009. PMID 17275283.
  • Oldham, Michael C.; Konopka, Genevieve; et al. (2008). "Functional organization of the transcriptome in human brain". Nature Neuroscience. 11 (11): 1271–1282. doi:10.1038/nn.2207. PMC 2756411. PMID 18849986.
  • Voineagu, Irina; et al. (2011). "Transcriptomic analysis of autistic brain reveals convergent molecular pathology". Nature. 474 (7351): 380–384. doi:10.1038/nature10110. PMC 3607626. PMID 21614001.
  • Parikshak, Neelroop N.; et al. (2016). "Genome-wide changes in lncRNA, splicing, and regional gene expression patterns in autism". Nature. 540 (7633): 423–427. doi:10.1038/nature20612. PMC 7102905. PMID 27919067.
  • Gandal, Michael J.; Geschwind, Daniel H.; et al. (2018). "Transcriptome-wide isoform-level dysregulation in ASD, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder". Science. 362 (6420) eaat8127. doi:10.1126/science.aat8127. PMC 6443102. PMID 30545856.

References

  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ 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. 362 (6420) eaat8127. Bibcode:2018Sci...362.8127G. doi:10.1126/science.aat8127. ISSN 1095-9203. PMC 6443102. PMID 30545856.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. 1 2 "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.
  8. 1 2 "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.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 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.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Daniel H. Geschwind". UCLA Website. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Daniel Geschwind". Allen Institute for Brain Science. Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  12. 1 2 "Daniel H. Geschwind". UCLA Newsroom. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  13. ↑ "Daniel Geschwind – UCLA Graduate Programs in Bioscience (GPB)". Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  14. 1 2 "Daniel H. Geschwind, MD - Neurodevelopmental Disorders". uclahealth.org. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  15. ↑ "Alumni". The Geschwind Lab at UCLA. 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  16. ↑ "Dan Geschwind". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  17. ↑ "Highly Cited Researchers List 2017 - Top Researchers Around the World". clarivate.com. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  18. ↑ "Geschwind". geschwindlab.dgsom.ucla.edu. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  19. ↑ "The Geschwind Lab". geschwindlab.dgsom.ucla.edu. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  20. ↑ "Daniel Geschwind, MD, PhD". UCLA Med School. 2022-02-27. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  21. ↑ 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.
  22. ↑ Gandal, Michael J.; Geschwind, Daniel H.; et al. (2018). "Transcriptome-wide isoform-level dysregulation in ASD, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder". Science. 362 (6420) eaat8127. doi:10.1126/science.aat8127. PMC 6443102. PMID 30545856.
  23. ↑ "Brains of people with autism spectrum disorder share similar molecular abnormalities". UCLA. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
  24. ↑ Wolman, David (2006). A Left Hand Turn Around the World. Da Capo Press. p. 195. ISBN 978-0-7867-3497-9.
  25. ↑ 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.
  26. ↑ Duran, Janice. "Decoding the Brain: Insights into Neuropsychiatric Disorders".
  27. ↑ "Daniel Geschwind, M.D., Ph.D. – UCLA Brain Research Institute (BRI)". Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  28. ↑ "Society of Biological Psychiatry Gold Medal Award | Society of Biological Psychiatry". Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  29. ↑ "Distinguished Investigators". Allen Institute. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  30. ↑ "Daniel H. Geschwind, MD - Neurodevelopmental Disorders". www.uclahealth.org. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  31. ↑ "Daniel Geschwind | UCLA Profiles". profiles.ucla.edu. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
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