Dan Jaklic

Research Interests: Molecular drivers of human cortical arealization during development

Dan Jaklic is a neuroscience graduate student at UCLA. Before pursuing a long-running curiosity of neuroscience, Dan obtained a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan in 2015, studying signal processing and embedded systems. He then worked for Northrop Grumman in Washington D.C. for three years as part of a multidisciplinary effort to develop software for the US Navy. Ready to pursue something more meaningful to him, Dan worked toward a master's degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan from 2020-2022 - with the goal of learning as much about neurobiology as possible and applying his unique experience toward neuroscience research. While back at Michigan, he became fascinated with cortical organoid models and landed in the lab of Dr. Jack Parent. Working with Dr. Wei Niu and Dr. Louis Dang, Dan used human pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical organoids/assembloids to study epilepsy and autism-linked mutations, specifically STXBP1, POGZ, STRADA. This experience cemented a fascination with human neurodevelopment and a dedication to neuroscience research. Dan joined UCLA in 2023 and the Bhaduri Lab in 2024. He hopes to continue using his engineering and computational background to study the molecular drivers of human cortical arealization during development. In his free time, Dan is reading, lifting weights, running, hiking, or sleeping.