Headshot of Daniel Geschwind.

Daniel Geschwind

Professor, University of California, Los Angeles;
Contributing editor, The Transmitter

Daniel Geschwind is Gordon and Virginia MacDonald Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry and Human Genetics at the University of California, Los Angeles. As senior associate dean and associate vice chancellor of precision health, he leads the university’s Institute for Precision Health.

His lab has pioneered the application of systems biology methods in neurologic and psychiatric disease, with a focus on autism and neurodegenerative conditions. His lab has made major contributions to identifying genetic causes of autism, defining the molecular pathology of autism and allied psychiatric disorders, and has worked to increase diversity in autism research. His work in dementia focuses on the mechanisms of tauopathies, where his lab is developing novel therapeutic approaches.

Geschwind sits on the editorial boards of Cell, Science and Neuron, and he is among the highest cited neurologists in the world. He has received several awards for his lab’s work, including the American Neurological Association’s Derek Denny-Brown Neurological Scholar Award, and most recently the Society of Biological Psychiatry Gold Medal Award and the American Academy of Neurology’s 2022 Cotzias Lecture and Award. He is the 2022 National Academy of Medicine recipient of the Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health. He is an elected member of the American Association of Physicians and the National Academy of Medicine.

Explore more from The Transmitter

New dopamine sensor powers three-color imaging in live animals

The tool leverages a previously unused segment of the color spectrum to track the neurotransmitter and can be used with two additional sensors to monitor other neurochemicals at different wavelengths.

By Diana Kwon
25 July 2025 | 5 min listen

Cell ‘antennae’ link autism, congenital heart disease

Variants in genes tied to both conditions derail the formation of cilia, the tiny hair-like structure found on almost every cell in the body, a new study finds.

By Lauren Schenkman
24 July 2025 | 4 min listen
Illustration of people collaborating in different locations.

How to build a truly global computational neuroscience community

Computational sciences offer an opportunity to increase global access to, and participation in, neuroscience. Neuromatch’s inclusive, scalable model for community building shows how to realize this promise.

By Megan Peters, Bradley Roberts
23 July 2025 | 9 min listen