Kay Tye

Kay tye

Kay Tye is an American neuroscientist known for her research on the neural circuits underlying emotion and motivation. She is a professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Early Life and Education

Kay Tye was born in New York City. She completed her undergraduate studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Brain and Cognitive Sciences. She then pursued her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she worked under the mentorship of Patricia Janak.

Research and Career

After completing her Ph.D., Tye conducted postdoctoral research at Stanford University in the laboratory of Karl Deisseroth, where she utilized optogenetics to study neural circuits. In 2012, she joined the faculty at MIT as an assistant professor in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory.

Tye's research focuses on understanding the neural mechanisms of emotional and motivational states, such as anxiety, depression, and addiction. Her work has identified specific neural circuits and pathways that regulate these states, providing insights into potential therapeutic targets for psychiatric disorders.

In 2019, Tye moved to the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, where she continues her research on neural circuits and behavior. She is also an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Awards and Honors

Kay Tye has received numerous awards and honors for her contributions to neuroscience, including:

• The Society for Neuroscience Young Investigator Award
• The National Institutes of Health Director's Pioneer Award
• The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Freedman Prize for Exceptional Basic Research

Personal Life

Kay Tye is married and has two children. She is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in science and has been involved in various initiatives to support underrepresented groups in the field of neuroscience.

See Also

• Neuroscience
• Optogenetics
• Salk Institute for Biological Studies
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute
• MIT
• University of California, San Francisco
• Stanford University