Daniel A. Colón-Ramos is an Associate Professor of Cell Biology and Neuroscience at Yale University. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Daniel completed his A.B. in biology at Harvard University and his PhD in molecular genetics from Duke University School of Medicine. Prior to his appointment at Yale University, he was a Damon Runyon fellow in cellular neuroscience at Stanford University and a recipient of the NIH Pathways to Independence Award (K99/R00).
The Colón-Ramos lab at Yale University is interested in understanding the developmental events that direct precise neural connectivity in vivo. In particular, they are interested in how neural circuits form, how they influence behavior, and how they are changed during learning. They use the nematode C. elegans to examine these questions in vivo and with single cell resolution. The work of the Colón-Ramos lab has been recognized by a number of awards, including the Sloan Fellowship, an award given “in recognition of distinguished performance and a unique potential to make substantial contributions to their field”.
Daniel Colón-Ramos has also worked to expand access to scientific knowledge, experiences and careers among communities or populations traditionally underrepresented in, or underserved by, the scientific enterprise. In 2006 he founded Ciencia Puerto Rico, a non-profit organization that promotes scientific research and education in the Puerto Rican archipelago and among Hispanics in the US and in Latin America. Ciencia Puerto Rico, with a membership of over 7,000, is one of the largest online mentoring networks for scientists, and has spearheaded a number of initiatives to address recruitment and persistence issues of under-represented minorities. Daniel Colón-Ramos outreach and research work were recognized by the AAAS Early Career Award for Public Engagement with Science in 2011.
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