Dr. Aryn Gittis

Biography

Aryn H. Gittis is the Frederick Schwertz Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego, and has completed a postdoctoral appointment at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease. Her research focuses on neural circuits that transform thoughts into actions, particularly within the basal ganglia, a multifunctional brain region essential for the regulation of movement, learning, motivation, and reward. Gittis's laboratory employs a range of techniques, including electrophysiology, optogenetics, histology, and behavioral assessments, using mice as model organisms to dissect the activity of specific basal ganglia circuits and their relevance to motor control and associated movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and dystonia.

Research Interests