Keith Hengen, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis


Keith Hengen earned his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and, as a postdoctoral researcher, worked under the guidance of Dr. Gina Turrigiano at Brandeis University. There, he delved into the core principles of homeostatic plasticity in the intact brain and began exploring topics such as sleep, emergent dynamics, and optimal computation. In 2017, Dr. Hengen assumed a faculty position in the Department of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. The Hengen Lab primarily posits that the most important feature of neurobiological computation is reliability, which serves as a foundational element for learning, complex behavior, and cognition. To explore this, the lab employs a multidisciplinary approach that includes long-term neurophysiology, computational modeling, theory, and cell biology. Dr. Hengen’s work has been recognized through several prestigious awards, including the Allen Institute’s Next Generation Leader Award.

To learn more, visit the Hengen Lab website.

Funded Research

These projects were made possible from Cure Alzheimer's Fund support.