THEANNE GRIFFITH received her undergraduate degrees in neuroscience and Spanish from Smith College and earned her doctorate in neuroscience from Northwestern University. As a graduate student, she combined electrophysiology and molecular biology to investigate the structure and function relationship between ionotropic glutamate receptors and their auxiliary subunits. As a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Griffith harnessed her knowledge of ion channel function to investigate the molecular mechanisms governing excitability of mammalian sensory neurons. As an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology at The University of California Davis, Dr. Griffith investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms of underlying proprioception, our internal spatial awareness of self, and other somatosensory modalities, using an innovation combination of electrophysiology, transgenic mouse models, behavior, imaging, and molecular profiling.

In addition to her research, Dr. Griffith is a published children’s book author. The first seven books in her science adventure chapter book series,The Magnificent Makers, have been published by Random House Children’s Books. Books 8 and 9 are slated for release in spring and summer 2024, respectively. She also co-writes the non-fiction companion series, Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files, which accompanies the Netflix series of the same name.

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