Ignas Cerniauskas

Ignas Cerniauskas began their career in 2008 as an Undergraduate Student Researcher at Vilniaus Universitetas / Vilnius University, where they developed a novel method for sequence-specific RNA labeling. In 2011, they became a Graduate Student Researcher at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), where they dissected the functional connectivity of the brain's spatial navigation system using in vivo electrophyiology recordings of functionally defined and optogenetically tagged cells. Ignas also mentored two master's students. From 2015 to 2020, Ignas was at the University of California, Berkeley, where they held the roles of Postdoctoral Scholar, Graduate Student Researcher, and Graduate Student Instructor. During their time there, they studied neural circuit remodeling in an animal model of depression and employed patch-clamp electrophyiology, chemogenetics, optogenetics in freely behaving animals and in ex vivo brain slice recordings, single-cell RNA sequencing, various behavioral paradigms, in vivo electrophysiology in freely behaving animals, small rodent surgery, and various neuroanatomy methods. Ignas also established in vivo electrophysiology recordings combined with optogenetics in freely behaving mice in the lab and coordinated a collaboration with another lab for single-cell RNA sequencing. Additionally, they mentored and managed two undergraduate students. In 2020, Ignas began their current role as Scientist II and Scientist I of Target Validation at Cajal Neuroscience.

Ignas Cerniauskas received their Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Vilnius University in 2011. Ignas then went on to obtain their Master of Science in Molecular Medicine from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in 2013. Finally, they completed their Doctor of Philosophy in Neuroscience from the University of California, Berkeley in 2019.