UCSB's Daniela Soto Explores the Genetic Basis of Human Brain Evolution
Research conducted by UCSB's Daniela Soto explores the genetic changes that shaped the human brain and contribute to neuropsychiatric disease.
UC Santa Barbara postdoctoral researcher Daniela Soto has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Hanna H. Gray Fellowship from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), recognizing her research on the evolution of the human brain. Soto’s work focuses on identifying human specific genetic changes by comparing DNA and RNA across humans and our closest relatives, including chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. She studies messenger RNA in the brain to better understand how human cognitive abilities evolved and why humans are particularly susceptible to certain neuropsychiatric disorders.
Soto works in Dr. Soojin Yi's lab and uses computational biology to look at how changes in the genome contribute to human brain function. Her research addresses key questions about which genetic differences drive the differences between humans and their relatives and how these changes are responsible for complex behavior and language. As Soto progresses into her career with the support of the HHMI fellowship, she will continue advancing the understanding of human evolution and help to build a foundation for future discoveries in brain health and disease.
