Affiliation: New York University Abu Dhabi

Dr. Rana El-Danaf completed her PhD in neuroscience from Virginia Commonwealth University under the supervision of Dr. William Guido and her postdoctoral training with neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman at the University of California San Diego and the Stanford University School of Medicine. She is currently a senior research scientist at New York University Abu Dhabi, where she is part of the Neural Development Group headed by Dr. Claude Desplan.

Dr. El-Danaf investigated glaucoma using rodent models, identifying retinal ganglion cell subtypes that are vulnerable to neurodegeneration for early biomarker detection. Using the Drosophila visual system, she recently discovered that a class of optic lobe neurons, known as lobula columnar neurons, originates from four distinct stem cell regions, revealing convergence from multiple progenitor pools and providing new insight into evolutionary brain organization. Beyond her research, she is committed to science outreach and actively engages in efforts to connect advanced science with the broader community.