BIANCA JONES MARLIN, PHD
HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar
Herbert and Florence Irving Assistant Professor of Cell Research
Department of Psychology, Department of Neuroscience
Principal Investigator at Columbia University
Zuckerman Institute
Bianca Jones Marlin, PhD is a neuroscientist and the Herbert and Florence Irving Assistant Professor of Cell Research in the Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience at Columbia University and the Zuckerman Institute and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Freeman Hrabowski Scholar. Her research investigates how organisms unlock innate behaviors at appropriate times, and how learned information is passed to subsequent generations via transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. Dr. Marlin’s experimental approach combines neural imaging, behavior, and molecular genetics to uncover the mechanisms by which learning and emotion are biologically transmitted from neurons of the parent to neurons of their offspring. The resulting insights into how learned behavior in the parent can become innate behavior in the offspring promise to make a profound impact on societal brain health, mental well-being, and parenting.
Prior to joining the faculty at Columbia, Dr. Marlin completed her postdoctoral work under the mentorship of Nobel Laureate, Dr. Richard Axel, where she investigated how trauma experienced by parents affects the brain structure and sensory experience of their future offspring. Dr. Marlin received her PhD from New York University working in the lab of Dr. Robert Froemke, where she examined how the brain adapts to care for a newborn— specifically the role of the neuropeptide oxytocin in maternal behavior. She has dual bachelor degrees in biology and adolescent education from St. John’s University.
Dr. Marlin’s work has been recognized with several awards and honors, including: Popular Science Magazine’s Brilliant 10, the STAT Wunderkind Award, the Allen Institute’s Next Generation Leaders Council, the Donald B. Lindsley Prize in Behavioral Neuroscience, and Discover Magazine’s Top 100 Stories. Her research and perspectives have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, Discover Magazine, and Forbes, among others.
Positions and Education
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Columbia University
Advisor: Richard Axel, MD
2016 – 2020
PhD, Neurobiology and Physiology, New York University
Advisor: Robert Froemke, PhD
2009 – 2015
BS, Biology; BS, Adolescent Education, St. John’s University
Dual Major, Honors College
Advisor: Diana Bartelt, PhD
2004 – 2009
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2023 HHMI Freeman Hrabowski Scholar $8,600,000
2023 Ernest E. Just Early Career Investigator Award
2023 NIH R25 Neuroscience Doctoral Readiness Program
2023 Bruce McEwen Memorial Early Career Investigator
2022 Provost’s Grants Program for Junior Faculty who Contribute to the Diversity Goals of the University – $30,000
2022 Hypothesis Fund Award – $300,000
2022 New Investigator Award (National) – Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Science; Juneteenth: A Freedom Celebration
2021 The Brilliant 10 – Popular Science Magazine
2020 Next Generation Leaders Council – Allen Institute for Brain Science
2017 STAT Wunderkind Award – STAT News, The Boston Globe
2017 Simons Foundation Junior Fellow
2016 Donald B. Lindsley Prize in Behavioral Neuroscience – Society for Neuroscience; The Grass Foundation – $5,000
2016 Outstanding Dissertation Prize – Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences - $500
2015 Discover 100 Top Stories of 2015 – Discover Magazine
2015 NIH Director’s Blog & “Lab TV” – Spotlight Researcher
2015 Special McCracken Award in Science – New York University School of Medicine - $500
2014 Best Poster Presentation – 5th International Conference on Auditory Cortex - $100
2014 Best Speaker Presentation – Advances and Perspectives in Auditory Neurophysiology - $500
2013 Best Poster Presentation – Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine
2012 Presidential Leadership and Service Award – NYU’s Black and Latino Association
2012 Best Poster Presentation –Bouchet Graduate Honor Society, Yale University
2009 Distinguished Student Leader Award, St. John’s University
2008 Gold Award of Servant Leadership, St. John’s University
2006 Ronald E. McNair Scholar, St. John’s University
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2023
European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress, October 7 - 10
Perinatal Research Society, Park City, UT, September 29 - October 1
Princeton University Department of Molecular Biology Butler Seminar Series Princeton, NJ, September 19 - 21
Marine Biological Laboratory Neural Systems & Behavior Course, Woods Hole, MA, July 18 - 22
Society of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Panel, Tours, France, June 29
Society of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Keynote Address, Tours, France, June 26
Transforming Science Conference, Cartagena, Colombia, June 15 - 19
NOVA Your Brain Panel, Brooklyn NY, June 8
Gordon Research Conference, Modulation of Neural Circuits and Behavior, Diablerets, Switzerland, May 21
Tel Aviv University Reimagining Inheritance Workshop, Tel Aviv, Israel, May 9
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences Special Seminar, Jerusalem, Israel, May 3
Weizmann Institute Department of Brain Sciences Neuroscience Seminar, Rehovot, Israel, May 2
Mount Holyoke College Hastorf Lecture, South Hadley, MA, April 27
University of Massachusetts Amherst Neuroscience and Behavior Colloquium, South Hadley, MA, April 26
Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Research’s (CDASR) Speaker Series, Cambridge, MA, April 19
Harvard Center for Brain Science Seminar, Cambridge, MA, February 28
Winter Conference on Neural Plasticity, Los Cabos, Mexico, February 4 - 11
Columbia University Irving Medical Campus Grand Rounds Talk, New York, NY, February 1
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Brain Insight Lecture Series, New York, NY, January 18
2022
Salk Institute Seminar Series, La Jolla, CA, December 22
Rockefeller University Lecture Series, New York, NY, October 21
Caltech Diverse Minds Seminar, Pasadena, CA, October 11
Gordon Research Conference, Optogenetic Approaches to Understanding Neural Circuits and Behavior, Newry, ME, July 17 - 22
Federation of European Neuroscience Societies Forum, Paris, France, July 9 - 13
Iowa Neuroscience Institute Seminar, Iowa City, IA, June 3
Parental Brain: Meeting on the Neuroscience of Parenting, St. Malo, France, May 16
University College London Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, May 12
Emotions Brain Forum, London, England, May 12
Northwest Association for Biomedical Research, IACUC Conference, virtual, February 24
2021
Emotions Brain Forum, Lugano, Switzerland, December 3
Integrated Learning Initiative, Learning & The Brain Conference, Boston, MA, November 19
Columbia University Cultural Memory Seminar, virtual, October 12
University of Utah Department of Neurobiology, Salt Lake City, UT, October 5
Mount Sinai Series on Racism and Mental Health, virtual, September 30
Weill Cornell Medicine Office of Postdoctoral Affairs Keynote Address, virtual, September 23
Columbia University Dept. of Psychology Colloquium, virtual, September 22
Broad Institute Stanley Center Biennial Symposium, virtual, September 21
Chautauqua Lecture Series: The Human Brain: Our Greatest Mystery, Chautauqua, NY, August 18
7th Annual Virtual NEURAL Conference Keynote Address, virtual, August 13
Whitney Museum of American Art, Black/Queer/Abstract: A Convening on the Occasion of Julie Mehretu, New York, NY, July 28
University of Pennsylvania, Neuroscience Seminar, virtual, April 28
Columbia Access Neuroscience (CAN), New York, NY, April 23
ACHEMS Annual Meeting, Development of Chemosensation and Perception, virtual, April 20
Northeastern Biology Colloquium, virtual, April 19
University of California, Berkeley Graduate Seminar, virtual, April 5
University of California, San Francisco Neuroscience Seminar, virtual, April 1
University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, virtual, March 24
The City College of New York, virtual, March 22
Cornell University, Neurobiology and Behavior, virtual, February 11
The Adaptive Brain, Inaugural Weizmann-Columbia Brain Symposium, virtual, January 25
2020
University of Pittsburgh, Neurobiology, virtual, December 9
The American College of Neuropharmacology, virtual, Invited Poster Presentation), December 6
University of North Texas, Biology, virtual, November 13
Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students, virtual, November 10
Neuromatch 2020, virtual, October 28
Studio Lab, Shades of Blues, virtual, October 21, 2020
Weill Cornell Medicine, Psychiatry, virtual, October 20
Breakthrough: Trauma Tracer Watch Party, virtual, October 10, 2020
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Brain Insight Lecture: Stress, Sleep and Resilience, virtual, September 23, 2020
Stanford University NeuroZoom Seminar, virtual, August 3
#BlackJourneyToNeuro, July 29, 2020
Molecular & Cellular Neurobiology Gordon Research Conference (postponed 2021), July 5
2019
Columbia University Zuckerman Institute, Columbia University, NY, September 5
Growing Up in Science, virtual, July 19
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, July 10
Becoming Mom: Stories About Wanting to Mother, The Story Collider Podcast, May 6
Duke University, School of Medicine, Duke University, NC, March 1
Winter Conference on Neural Plasticity, Mo’orea, Fr. Polynesia, February
SciCafe: Science of Love, February 6
Columbia University, Dept. of Psychology, Columbia University, NY, February 8
Talks Progress Administration, January 20
2018
Survival: The Imagine Science Film Festival Closing Night 2018 Symbiosis Film Competition, New York, NY, October 19
Story Collider Presents: ATTRACTION, August 7
What You Inherit From Your Parents, You’re The Expert Podcast, July 15
Caveat and Gizmodo Present: A Wake for Failed Scientific Theories, June 6
Falling in Love is a Profound Experience Driven by Chemical Activity, April 24
Secret Science Club Presents: Love is the Drug!, New York, NY, April 12
2016
Society for Neuroscience: Minisymposium, San Diego, CA, November 16
Society of Biological Psychiatry, Atlanta, GA, May 12
St. John’s University Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program Keynote Address, New York, NY, May 4
Computational and Systems Neuroscience (COSYNE) 2016, Salt Lake City, UT, February 28
Association for Research in Otolaryngology (ARO), San Diego, CA, February 23
University of Puerto Rico, School of Medicine, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, USA, February 5
University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, USA, February 2
2015
Barrels XXVIII, Chicago, IL, October 16
2014
Society for Neuroscience: Nanosymposium, Washington, DC, October 17
New York University Auditory Cortex Splash, New York, NY, May 10
2007
Vanderbilt University Science Academy, Nashville, TN, August
Harvard University New England Science Symposium, Cambridge, MA, April
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2024 Optogenetic Approaches to Understanding Neural Circuits and Behavior, Gordon Research Conference, Tuscany, Italy, July 21 - 26.
2022 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies Forum, Paris, FR, July 132021 NIH Brain Initiative Investigator Meeting, Diversity of the Social Brain, virtual, June 17
Columbia-Mount Sinai Brain Symposium, New York, NY, May 25
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2024 Co-Chair (elected position), Optogenetics Gordon Research Conference
2021 – Present Advisory Board Member, Black in Neuro.
2020 – 2021 Global Programs Committee Member, Society for Neuroscience.
2019 – 2021 Chair, Society for Neuroscience: Training Advisory Committee
2018 – 2019 Leadership Development Program Member, Society for Neuroscience.
2017 – 2018 Website Advisory Committee Member, Society for Neuroscience.
2016 – 2018 Online Programs Steering Committee Member, Society for Neuroscience.
2016 – 2018 Training Advisory Committee Member, Society for Neuroscience.
2012 Member, Society for Neuroscience.
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2022 – 2023 Committee Member, Department of Psychology Race and Racism Scholars Faculty Search Committee, Columbia University
2022 – Present Lead Faculty Advisor, Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), Columbia University
2021 – Present Founder, Zuckerman Institute Dept. of Neuroscience - Black People Space, BPS, Columbia University.
2022 BRAINS Fellows Cohort
2022 Member, Scholar Selection Committee, Innovation Scholars Program, Columbia University Zuckerman Institute.
2021 Member, Innovation Scholars Program, Columbia University Zuckerman Institute
2021 Member, Organizing Committee, Inaugural Symposium with Friedman Brain Institute, Mount Sinai and Zuckerman Institute
2021 Member, Department of Neuroscience Faculty Search Committee, Columbia University.
2020 Member, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Board , Columbia University Zuckerman Institute.
2018 Founder, Scientist/Parents Group, Columbia University Zuckerman Institute
2018 – 2019 Member, Intellectual Life Committee, Columbia University Zuckerman Institute
2018 – 2019 Member, Columbia Neuroscience Seminar Series Selection Committee, Columbia University.
2018 Co-Organizer, Growing Up in Science at Columbia University Zuckerman Institute.
2016 Committee Member, Extramural Postdoc Seminars, Columbia University.
2016 – 2017 Committee Member, Underrepresented Postdoc Association, Columbia University.
2015 NYU Postdoctoral Recruiter: University of Puerto Rico Diversity Neuroscience Initiative, University of Puerto Rico: Mayagüez, Rio Piedras
2010 – 2013 Committee Member, Office of Diversity Affairs, New York University School of Medicine.
2010 – 2012 Committee Member, NYC Minority Graduate Student Network.
2010 – 2011 Committee Member, Black, Latino Student Association, NYU School of Medicine.
2009 – 2015 Science Writer, The Sackler Messenger. NYU School of Medicine.