Richard Daneman received his B.Sc. from McGill University majoring in biochemistry and his Ph.D in Developmental Biology from Stanford University working with Ben Barres. Dr. Daneman then started his own lab as a Sandler Fellow at UCSF, before moving to a faculty position in the Departments of Pharmacology and Neurosciences at the UCSD. Dr. Daneman studies the molecular mechanisms that regulate blood-brain barrier (BBB) function during health and disease. His lab uses a combination of cellular, molecular and genetic approaches to understand the mechanisms of BBB formation and function, addressing important questions such as: What are the mechanisms that regulate the formation and function of the BBB? How does the BBB interact with the neuronal circuitry to regulate brain function and behavior? What are the molecular mechanisms that lead to BBB disruption during neurological disease? The overall goal of our work is to elucidate these mechanisms, such that we will be able to develop therapeutics to modulate the barrier to treat neurological diseases. He has received a number of honors including the Klingenstein-Simons Award, the Rita Allen Foundation Milton E. Cassel Scholar award, the AAA young investigator award, the ASPET Neuropharmacology Early Career award and the Landis Award.