Valerie Tsai

Valerie Tsai

Neuroscience PhD Student

Stanford University

Biography

Hi, I’m Valerie! I am a first year Neuroscience PhD Student at Stanford University. I am interested in using computational modeling and closed-loop optogenetics to define the structure of the circuits, systems, and motor sequences underlying social behavior.

I did my undergrad at the University of Washington, where I earned a Neuroscience BS and an English Minor. I conducted an honors thesis research project with Dr. Sam Golden where I used deep and machine learning to quantitatively phenotype the behavioral sequences and whole-brain cfos ensembles underlying maladaptive aggression. I was also Editor-in-Chief of Grey Matters Journal, a neuroscience outreach organization founded and run by undergraduate students aimed at fostering scientific engagement through community outreach, diversity and inclusivity initiatives, and effective scientific communication.

After graduating in 2022, I worked at the National Institute of Mental Health as an IRTA Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellow in the Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, where I learned to use patch clamp electrophysiology and one- and two-photon microscopy to investigate the impact of endogenous opioid signaling on PFC microcircuitry and motivated behavior.

Interests
  • Systems Neuroscience
  • Social Behavior
  • Machine Learning
Education
  • PhD in Neuroscience, 2024-Present

    Stanford University

  • BS in Neuroscience, 2018-2022

    University of Washington

What I Do

Science
🐁 Behavior
🧠 Patching
🐍 Python
📈 Data Analysis
Hobbies
✍️ Writing
📚 Reading
🌄 Nature
Coffee

Experience

 
 
 
 
 
Neuroscience PhD Student
Stanford University
September 2024 – Present California
 
 
 
 
 
IRTA Post-Baccalaureate Research Fellow
Unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration, NIMH
August 2022 – August 2024 Maryland

Used the high resolution cellular and molecular neuroscience techniques ex vivo patch-clamp electrophysiology and in-situ hybridization in combination with fiber photometry recordings and 2-photon imaging during headfixed behavior assays to comprehensively characterize the role of endogenous opioids and their receptors in shaping prefrontocortical microcircuits involved in motivated behavior. Set up hardware and software for video acquisition and wrote simple computer vision- based tools for video processing. Set up and implemented computational behavioral quantification methods and taught researchers across institutes to use them in their own research.

Advisor: Hugo Tejeda

 
 
 
 
 
Undergraduate Researcher
Golden Lab, University of Washington
September 2020 – August 2022 Washington

Worked on computational analyses of complex behavior in mice (aggression, social interaction, food-seeking) using deep- and machine-learning based methods for pose estimation and behavioral quantification. Developed computational pipelines using unsupervised machine learning dimensionality reduction and clustering methods for visualizing and interpreting whole-brain fos cellular activation data.

Advisor: Sam Golden

 
 
 
 
 
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Perlmutter Lab, University of Washington
July 2019 – May 2021 Washington

Assessed the therapeutic effect of targeted activity-dependent spinal stimulation (TADSS) on motor function and axonal regeneration following spinal cord injury in rats.

Advisor: Steve Perlmutter

Awards

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Award
Awarded to outstanding graduate students who have demonstrated the potential to be high achieving scientists early in their career. One of 2,000 awardees selected from a pool of 15,000+ applicants.
Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority Fellowship
Awarded to URM graduate students, postdocs, faculty and scientists to receive funding assistance to attend their first Gordon Research Conference.
NIMH Scientific Training Day Travel Award
Awarded to high-achieving trainees of all levels to encourage them to share their research and accomplishments by giving presentations at scientific conferences.
NIH Post-Bac Poster Day Outstanding Poster Award
Awarded to presenters scoring in the top 20% of all posters presented at the NIH Post-Baccalaureate Poster Day.
Levinson Emerging Scholars Award
Award funded by Art and Rita Levinson providing flexible support to undergraduates who have shown promise as dedicated, creative, and highly independent researchers to further their work in the life sciences and related fields. Provides a research stipend, academic scholarship, and funding for lab expenses.
NAPE Undergraduate Research Award
Award issued by the University of Washington Center of Excellence in Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion funded by the NIH through a NIDA P30 Award providing training and financial support to motivated undergraduates interested in pursuing a career in research. Provides a research stipend and support for career development.
Dean’s List
Awarded to students maintaining above a 3.5 cumulative GPA.

Recent Posts

As of April 2024, funding for the BRAIN Initiative has been cut by 40%. This will be massively destructive to the progress of the entire field of neuroscience and the livelihood of researchers, their families, and patients. Research described in the following articles and much, much more would not have been possible without funding from the BRAIN Initiative. Please take the time to reach out to your Senators and Representatives (example template from Twitter here).

Projects

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Val’s Scripts
Links to and descriptions of the code and Jupyter Notebooks available on my GitHub. (Coming Soon…)

Recent Publications

Looking for a specific paper? See all publications here.
(2024). The transcriptional response of cortical neurons to concussion reveals divergent fates after injury. bioRxiv.

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(2024). Individual Differences in Volitional Social Self-Administration and Motivation in Male and Female Mice Following Social Stress. Biological Psychiatry.

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(2023). Dynorphin / kappa-opioid receptor regulation of excitation-inhibition balance toggles afferent control of prefrontal cortical circuits in a pathway-specific manner. Molecular Psychiatry.

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(2023). Dissociable control of motivation and reinforcement by distinct ventral striatal dopamine receptors. bioRxiv.

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(2022). Sex differences in appetitive and reactive aggression. Neuropsychopharmacology.

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Contact

📬 Send me a message! Always happy to chat about science, writing, behavioral analysis tools, my grad school, postbac and undergrad research experiences, and potential opportunities or collaborations.