Danielle Bassett

Danielle Bassett
File:Bassett 2014 hi-res-download 1.jpg
Born	c. 1981
Nationality	American
Fields	physics, neuroscience
Institutions	University of Pennsylvania
Alma mater	Pennsylvania State University; University of Cambridge
Doctoral advisor	Thomas Duke, Edward T. Bullmore, Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
Notable awards	Sloan fellowship MacArthur fellowship ONR Young Investigator
Spouse	Lee Bassett
Children	Two Sons
Website www.danisbassett.com

Danielle Smith Bassett (born c. 1981) is an American physicist and systems neuroscientist who was the youngest individual to be awarded a 2014 MacArthur fellowship. She was also awarded a 2014 Sloan fellowship. Bassett is the Skirkanich Assistant Professor of Innovation at the University of Pennsylvania, where she applies network science to the study of learning in the human brain in addition to the study of other complex physical and biological systems. She received a B.S. in physics from Pennsylvania State University in 2004, and her CPGS and Ph.D in physics from the University of Cambridge in 2005 and 2009 respectively.

Early Life and Education

Danielle Bassett (Born Danielle Perry) was born in 1981 and was raised in Lock Haven and Reading, Pennsylvania. Pursuing a passion for medicine, and following the path of her father, she began in the nursing school at the Reading Hospital School of Nursing. After recognizing her passion for mathematics, she sought to combine the concepts of physics and mathematics to neuroscience. She graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in physics in 2004. She received the NIH-Cambridge Scholarship and the Winston Churchill Scholarship which allowed her to continue her studies at the University of Cambridge. In 2005 she received her Certificate in Postgraduate Studies from the Churchill College at the University of Cambridge, and in 2009 she received her PhD from King's College, Cambridge.

Career

Danielle Bassett became a postdoctoral associate from 2009 – 2011 at the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Sage Junior Research Fellow from 2011 – 2013. She is currently on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania as the Skirkanich Assistant Professor of Innovation in the Department of Bioengineering.

Bassett began her research by applying the concepts of network science and complex systems in order to understand the organization of the brain. She focused on the “small-world” topology of the brain, which refers to networks and the way in which they express dense local clustering and how the presence of connections leads to a short path of communication between distant nodes. Her research team applied mathematical concepts in graph theory to small-world analysis to quantify cortical connectivity. The small-world models she produced introduced a means to understanding the brain’s structure and function.

These topological measures developed early in her career were used to examine the cortex and its divisions and wiring to determine the properties that the cortex has. She found that of the various cortical regions, the multimodal portion of the cortex has hierarchical organizations with low clustering, and the transmodal portion was more assortative. Bassett applied these concepts to schizophrenic individuals and noticed that the organization of these portions were abnormal with increasing connection distances. Bassett continues to research the implications of network behaviors on mental disorders, particularly schizophrenia.

Bassett and her team have also been conducting research regarding brain flexibility. Brain flexibility is how often a region of the brain switches communication patterns. The more often the brain switches patterns, the more flexible the brain is. They have also found correlations between the ability for the brain to learn and the flexibility of the brain. Her research may have implications in rehabilitation, particularly in patients who have had a stroke.

Awards and Honors

During her undergraduate studies, Danielle Bassett was the sole recipient of the Paul Axt Prize, which is given to a student who demonstrates commitment to inquiry and fosters intellectual curiosity. She was also a Schreyer Honors Scholar and was named the Most Achieving Undergraduate Woman of the Year in 2004. She received the Winston Churchill Scholarship and the National Institute of Health- Cambridge Health Science Scholarship to fund her graduate education. Bassett received the Alumni Achievement Award from the Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University for extraordinary accomplishment under 35 years of age. She was named American Psychological Society “Rising Star” in December 2012. In January 2014, Bassett won the Sloan Fellowship. Most notably, She was one of the 21 winners of the MacArthur Research Fellowship in September 2014.

Personal life

Danielle Bassett is married to Lee Bassett. They have two children, J. Silas Bassett born in 2011, and A. Simeon born in 2014. During her earlier years she enjoyed being a member of the rowing team.