Kay M. Tye

Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla CA (2019 – Present)
Professor, Wylie Vale Chair, Systems Neurobiology Laboratory

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA (2012 – 2019)
Associate Professor, Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Picower Institute for Learning and Memory

Stanford University at Stanford, CA (2009 – 2011)
Post-Doctoral Fellow advised by Karl Deisseroth

Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at UCSF, Emeryville CA (2008 – 2009)
Post-Doctoral Fellow co-advised by Patricia H. Janak and Antonello Bonci

University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco CA (2004 – 2008)
Ph.D. in Neuroscience, Defended Thesis May 30, 2008, Degree Conferred September 9, 2008
Following one year of rotations, joined Patricia H. Janak laboratory September 2005

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA (1999 – 2003)
B.S. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Biology minor, graduated June 2003 with GPA of 4.9/5.0

Post-Doctoral Fellow (September 2009 – December 2011)
Stanford University at Stanford, CA
Karl Deisseroth Laboratory
Using novel optogenetic techniques to dissect the neural circuitry underlying psychiatric disease.

Post-Doctoral Fellow (May 2008 – August 2009)
Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center associated with UCSF, Emeryville CA
Antonello Bonci and Patricia H. Janak Laboratories
Examined the role of dopamine in modulating learning and learning-induced synaptic plasticity in the amygdala.

Graduate Student (August 2005 – May 2008)
University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco CA
Patricia H. Janak Laboratory
Studied electrophysiological properties of amygdala neurons in vitro during reward-seeking behavior.

Rotation Student (September 2004 – July 2005)
University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco CA
Heberlein, Cheyette and Brainard Laboratories
Explored genetic manipulations in drosophila, Wnt-signaling in mice and song production in Bengalese finches.

Undergraduate Research Assistant (August 2001 – 2003)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Cambridge MA
Richard Wurtman Laboratory
Used in vivo microdialysis to examine neurotransmitter metabolite levels in rats treated with antipsychotics.

Undergraduate Research Assistant (September 1999 – 2000)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Clinical Research Center, Cambridge MA
Suzanne Corkin Laboratory
Studied performance in working memory tasks of Alzheimer’s Disease patients and case-study patient, H.M., whose bilateral hippocampus removal helped determine the functional localization of learning and memory.

NIH Early Independence Awardee Webinar (2022)

Participated in a panel to share experiences as a PI and provide advice and guidance to attendees on a range of subjects including grants management, applying for funding, career advice and time/lab management.

NGP Success Through Failure Panel (2022)

Participated in a panel for UCSD students sharing life experiences in academia and how to motivate oneself through failure.

X-STEM All Access Virtual Conference (2021)

Participated in a mental health/neuroscience focused panel for X-STEM whose goal is to get kids excited about careers in STEM.

Diversity and Inclusion Task Force (2020-Present)

Co-Chair of this Salk Institute committee which has the goal to increase inclusion and diversity of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPoC), combat systemic racism and injustice and ensure Salk is a place where all members of the community can thrive

Campus Climate Advisory Committee (2020-Present)
Member of this Salk Institute committee which has the goal to identify cultural issues of concern to various campus constituent groups and to understand the bases for these concerns. 

TED Talk (2019 recording, posted 2020)
Speaker at the TED Talk hosted at the National Academy of Sciences.

Celebration of Woman in Neuroscience, SFN (2019)
Served as moderator for a panel discussion focused on the advancements women have made in the Neuroscience field over the last 50 years and what still needs to be done.

Breaking Barriers for Women, SFN (Professional Women’s Nexus)(2019)
Served as mentor for young women in the session.

Speaker in Women & Science Program, Salk Institute (2019)
Spoke about neuroscience of seeking pleasure and avoiding pain to this program which engages women in the community to discuss the latest discovers in science and technology to inspire more women

Career Development Panelist, ACNP (2017)
Provided perspective on navigating a tenure-track academic career path.

Speaker in Diversity Luncheon at CoSyne (2017)
Spoke about personal experiences and strategies to work towards gender parity through raising awareness of implicit bias.

Professional Women’s Nexus (2016)
Panelist in the annual PWN meeting affiliated with the Society for Neuroscience meeting in San Diego.

Commitment to Caring (2014)
Was nominated and recognized for outstanding mentorship of graduate students by the Office of the Dean for Graduate Education at MIT.

Science Club for Girls (2012- 2019)
Volunteer with underprivileged girls or females that are under-represented minorities (aged 12-17) from local public schools to form lasting mentorship relationships, speak on panels, give presentations, and give lab tours with real research demonstrations with the goal of promoting awareness and feasibility of Science-Technology-Engineering-Math (STEM) careers. Encourage girls to be a role-model and mentor to local K-5 aged children through open workshops to experience the rewards of mentoring in STEM careers.

Boston Brain Bee (2012- 2019)
Volunteer as panelist, keynote speaker and ongoing mentor to students from local high schools competing in an annual neuroscience bee.

Women in Life Sciences (2006-Present)
Participated in a peer-mentoring group where students, post-docs and faculty connect to form lasting bonds and offer career and life advice.

Quattro Alliance for Science Integration (2005-2007)
Volunteered for over 1000 hours to plan and teach 16 life science lessons to two 3rd-grade classrooms of non-native speakers of English in Bay Area public schools using creative and interactive teaching strategies, including multi-day retreats.

Scientist-Teacher Action Team (STAT) Program (2004-2005)
Volunteered to work with teachers to design, plan and teach 8 science lessons to students at San Francisco public schools.

Freshman Leadership Program (1999-2003)
Volunteered to work with ~100 incoming MIT freshman per year to develop communication, leadership and mentorship skills while building confidence and increasing awareness of underprivileged populations. Special emphasis was given to issues of mental health, gender biases, racism, and socio-economic backgrounds.

MIT Disabilities Office (2002-2003)
Worked with the disabilities office to provide learning resources to students that were blind, had learning disabilities, mental health problems or other physical disabilities.

Cambridge-Boston Outreach (1999-2000)
Volunteered to work with underprivileged youth, K-5th grade, to increase literacy using non-traditional, interactive learning strategies.

Visit our Publications page for a list of all published papers.

Tye KM, Mirzabekov JJ, Warden MR, Tsai HC, Finkelstein JC, Kim SY, Ferenczi E, Adhikari A, Gunaydin LA, Thompson KR, Andalman AS, Witten IB, Deisseroth K (2011) Optogenetic activation of VTA dopamine neurons acutely rescues a stress-induced depression phenotype. 40th Annual Meeting of the Society of Neuroscience. Washington DC.

Mattis JH, Tye KM, Ramakrishnan C, O’Shea DJ, Gunaydin LA, Ferenczi EA, Hyun M, Fenno LE, Gradinaru V, Yizhar O, Deisseroth K (2011) Principles for optogenetics derived from direct comparative analysis of microbial opsins. 40th Annual Meeting of the Society of Neuroscience. Washington DC.

Ferenczi E, Mattis J, Ramakrishnan C, Tye KM, O’Shea D, Yihzar O, Deisseroth K (2011) Stability of optogenetic tool deactivation kinetics under varying stimulation conditions. 40th Annual Meeting of the Society of Neuroscience. Washington DC.

Gunaydin LA, Finkelstein JC, Fenno LE, Mirzabekov JJ, Tye KM, Bunney CA, Deisseroth K (2011) Bidirectional modulation of social behavior by optogenetic tuning of mesolimbic dopamine circuitry. 40th Annual Meeting of the Society of Neuroscience. Washington DC.

Warden MR, Selimbeyoglu A, Tye KM, Kim SY, Mirzabekov JJ, Frank LM, Deisseroth K (2011) Optogenetic control and neurophysiology of the medial prefrontal-dorsal raphe projection during depression-related behavior. 40th Annual Meeting of the Society of Neuroscience. Washington DC.

Tye KM, Fenno LE, Kim SY, Prakash R, Grosenick L, Zarabi H, Thompson KR, Ramakrishnan C, Gradinaru V, Deisseroth K (2010) Endogenous anxiolytic mechanisms identified by projection-specific
optogenetic control of amygdala microcircuitry. 39th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA.

Tye KM, Tye LD, Cone JJ, Hekkelman EF, Janak PH, Bonci A (2009) Methylphenidate (Ritalin) enhances task performance and learning-induced amygdala plasticity via distinct D1 and D2 receptor mechanisms. 38th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, IL.

Janak PH, Tye KM, Bonci A, and Stuber GD (2008) Encoding of reward-predictive cues in the basolateral amygdala.  Biology of Cognition, Chantilly, France, Oct. 16-19th, 2008.

Tye KM, Stuber GD, Bonci A, Janak PH (2008) Increases in thalamo-amygdala synaptic strength mediate cue-reward acquisition. Wheeler Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction: Marshall, CA.

Tye KM, Stuber GD, de Ridder B, Bonci A, Janak PH (2007) Synaptic plasticity in the amygdala following reward-related learning. 37th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA.

Tye KM and Janak PH (2007) Distinct populations of amygdala neurons encode motivation and reinforcement. Gordon Research Conference: Amygdala in health and disease, Lewiston, ME.

Cone JJ, Tye KM, Janak PH (2007) Neural activity in the basolateral amygdala changes with altered reward availability. 37th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, CA.

Tye KM and Janak PH (2007) Motivation and reinforcement are distinctly encoded in the basolateral amygdala during cue-induced reinstatement. Keystone Symposia on the Neurobiology of Addiction, Santa Fe, NM.

Tye KM and Janak PH (2007) Conditioned reinforcement and conditioned incentive are distinctly encoded in the basolateral amygdala. Bay Area Neuroscience Gathering, San Francisco, CA.

Tye KM and Janak PH (2006) Evidence suggests that the cue-reward association is neurally represented by basolateral amygdala neurons during cue-induced reinstatement. 36th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA.

Teaching:
At MIT: 9.17 Systems Laboratory, 9.15 Neural Circuits and Neuromodulatory Systems, 9.011 Guest Lecturer

Committees and Service:
Graduate Admissions: Systems track and Molecular/Cellular track (2012, 2013)
Faculty Search: Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department, Picower Institute; Center of Integrative Biology, Salk Institute
Graduate Student Affairs: Core Member
Thesis Committees: 9 not including lab members
Freshman Advisor: 2014

Journal Review:
Nature, Science, Cell, Nature Neuroscience, Neuron, PNAS, Journal of Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Physiology, Neuropsychopharmacology, Biological Psychiatry, Molecular Psychiatry, eLife, Cell Reports, Current Opinions on Neurobiology.

Study Section:
National Science Foundation (Ad-Hoc)
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (LAM) (Ad-Hoc)
Social and Emotional Representation (Ad-Hoc)
K99 for NIMH (Ad-Hoc)
New Innovator Award, DP2 (Ad-Hoc)

Other:
SFN-Sponsored Social Chair: Optogenetics Social (2012, 2013)
Elected ACNP Associate Member in 2013, Full Member in 2014
SFN Member
Founding Chair of Optogenetics Gordon Research Conference (vice-chair 2016, chair 2018)
Elected Chair of Amygdala Gordon Research Conference (Elected 2015, vice-chair 2017, chair 2019)
Judge for the TR35 competition

Scientific Council:
Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD)