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Nicholas Steinmetz

Nicholas Steinmetz

Neuroscientist and Associate Professor studying brain circuits for perception and cognition

Seattle, Washington
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Joined August 2026
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Summary

Nicholas Steinmetz is a leading neuroscientist specializing in brain-wide neural circuits underlying perception, cognition, and action. His research focuses on understanding how different brain regions coordinate their activity to generate complex behaviors and process sensory information, with a particular interest in visually-guided behaviors in mice. He employs cutting-edge techniques such as Neuropixels electrophysiology, large-scale calcium imaging, and optogenetic manipulations. uw+3
Dr. Steinmetz is a proponent of open science, sharing his lab's data and code publicly. His work has contributed significantly to the development and application of advanced neurotechnologies, such as Neuropixels probes, which allow for high-density, stable, and long-term brain recordings. He is a member of the International Brain Lab and the Neuropixels Consortium. steinmetzlab+2
His research has earned him significant recognition, including the Pew Biomedical Scholar award in 2020 and the Klingenstein Fellowship in Neuroscience. He also received an NSF CAREER award, highlighting his innovative contributions and potential for future leadership in the field. nicksteinmetz+2

Work

Education

Writing

Neural and behavioural state switching during hippocampal dentate spikes

March 1, 2024

Co-authored this Nature publication on how dentate spikes, a type of hippocampal population event, are associated with elevated brain-wide firing rates and brief periods of arousal, supporting memory during non-locomotor behavior.

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Neuropixels 2.0: A miniaturized high-density probe for stable, long-term brain recordings

January 1, 2021

Co-authored this Science publication describing the development and capabilities of Neuropixels 2.0 probes, which are high-density, miniaturized devices for recording neural activity in the brain.

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Distributed coding of choice, action, and engagement across the mouse brain

January 1, 2019

Co-authored this Nature publication investigating how sensory detection, processing, and motor control neurons are simultaneously active when mice make decisions, contributing to the understanding of brain-wide neural dynamics.

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Fully integrated silicon probes for high-density recording of neural activity

A highly cited work (733 citations) detailing fully integrated silicon probes designed for high-density neural activity recording, a foundational contribution to neuroscience methodology.

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