Daniel Vogt, PhD

Assistant Professor

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Dr. Daniel Vogt, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the College of Human Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics and Human Development. Dr. Vogt’s lab is investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The lab is particularly interested in understanding how genes implicated in ASD are functioning in the brain and how mutations in these genes lead to symptoms of ASD and other neuropsychiatric disorders. One hypothesis is that some symptoms of ASD are caused by an imbalance in neuronal excitation and inhibition. To this end, Dr. Vogt’s lab is focusing on understanding how inhibitory neurons develop and function. In addition, the lab seeks to understand how mutations discovered in ASD risk genes alter their function and lead to symptoms of the disorder.

Dr. Vogt’s research has elucidated how key developmental genes influence inhibitory neuron development. In particular, his research was important in uncovering how the gene, Lhx6, a transcription factor required for inhibitory neuron development, controls the cell fate of inhibitory neurons derived from the median ganglionic eminence (MGE) (Neuron, 2014). Dr. Vogt also developed an in vivo approach to assess the impact that human mutations discovered in ASD patients have on gene function. This approach was tested with the ASD candidate gene, PTEN, and demonstrated that ASD mutations in PTEN resulted in defects in inhibitory neuron development (Cell Reports. 2015). The lab’s goal is to continue to screen mutations in genes implicated in ASD to uncover both common and unique symptoms that are caused by ASD risk genes. Finally, the lab seeks to combine the knowledge gained from the screening of ASD mutations and the knowledge from studying individual genes to uncover new insights into inhibitory neuron development.

Education & Training

• Postdoc, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, USA


• PhD, Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University, USA


• BS, Biology, University of Kentucky, USA

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Development. 2017. 144: 2837-51.


• Neuron. 2017. 93: 291-98.


• Neuron. 2016. 92: 59-74.


• Cerebral Cortex. 2016. 27: 4303-13.


• eLIFE. 2016. 5: e13073.


• Human Molecular Genetics. 2015. 24: 5024-39.


• Cell Reports. 2015. 11: 944-56.


• Journal of Visualized Experiments. 2015. 98: e52740.


• Neuron. 2014. 84: 940-53.


• Journal of Neuroscience. 2014. 34: 11519-25.


• Neuron. 2014. 82: 350-64.


• Neuron. 2014. 81: 61-8.


• Developmental Biology. 2014. 385: 94-106.


• Cell Stem Cell. 2013. 12: 573-86.


• PloS One. 2013. 8: e67679.

Awawrds & Honors

• Postdoctoral training grant (5T32HD007104-31), 2009-2007


• Predoctoral training grant (T32AG00271), 2005-2003