Kurt Ahrens joined the Allen Institute in August 2006 to establish a research program aimed at characterizing the function of genetically defined cell types, their interactions within brain circuits, and their roles in behavior. Kurt received his B.A. in 1991 from Northwestern University, in the Integrated Science Program, with majors in Physics and Neurobiology. In 1998, he received his Ph.D. from the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied the interactions of the olfactory and limbic systems. As a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, San Diego, Kurt investigated sensorimotor integration in the rodent whisker system, using multichannel electrodes. Before joining the Allen Institute, Kurt worked at Rutgers University, developing tools to optically record brain activity using genetically encoded voltage sensors and multiphoton microscopy.

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