Theanne Griffith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Theanne Griffith
Education	Smith College, Northwestern University
Known for	Neurophysiology, Molecular mechanisms of thermal sensations, "The Magnificent Makers" children's book series, "Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files" children's book series
Scientific career
Institutions	University of California, Davis, Columbia University, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile

Theanne Griffith is an amazing American scientist who studies the brain and nervous system. She also writes fun books for kids! She works as a professor at the University of California, Davis.

Early Life and Education

Theanne Griffith was born in Pennsylvania in 1986. Her parents were both professors, which means they taught at universities. She grew up in Alexandria, Virginia.

College and Early Research

Theanne Griffith went to Smith College and finished in 2008. She studied neuroscience, which is the study of the brain, and Spanish. During all four years at Smith, she was involved in scientific research.

One of her projects at Smith College looked at how certain brain parts, called GABA receptors, react to things like menthol. She used a special tool called a two-electrode voltage clamp to do this.

In 2007, while still in college, Griffith studied abroad in Chile at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. There, she learned new ways to do research, like using western blots. After graduating, she was invited back to Chile for more research from 2008 to 2010.

Advanced Studies

After her time in Chile, Griffith came back to the United States. She went to Northwestern University to get her Ph.D. in Neuroscience. A Ph.D. is a very high degree that shows you are an expert in your field.

For her Ph.D., she went back to studying how electricity works in brain cells. She used a method called patch clamp to measure tiny electric currents in brain cells. She studied how different parts of brain cells, like glutamate receptors, work.

Career and Discoveries

After getting her Ph.D., Dr. Griffith continued her research at Columbia University. She worked in a lab that studied mechanosensation. This is how our bodies feel touch and send those feelings to the brain.

Her research looked at how certain channels in our cells, called sodium channels, help send signals. She found that some cells that react to menthol are more excited than others. This helped explain why menthol has been used for a long time to help with pain and reduce fever.

Teaching and Research Lab

From 2019 to 2020, Dr. Griffith taught at Rutgers University. Then, in 2020, she became a professor at the University of California, Davis. She still teaches and does research there today.

In her lab, called the Griffith Lab, she studies how mammals sense temperature, which is called thermosensation. She wants to find out which tiny channels in our cells are important for staying healthy. Her lab uses many different tools, including patch clamp and genomic techniques, mostly on mice. She found that a specific channel, called Nav1.1, is very important for how cells react. This suggests it might help us feel cold.

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Griffith has received many awards for her amazing work:

• 2024: Society for Neuroscience Science Educator Award
• 2024: Sloan Research Fellowship
• 2020: University of California, Davis CAMPOS Faculty Scholars
• 2018: Columbia University First Prize Poster Presentation Award Recipient
• 2016: Biophysical Society Inclusion and Diversity Travel Award
• 2013 - 2014: Northwestern University Center for Leadership, Leadership Fellow
• 2013: Harvard Medical School New England Science Symposium, First Prize Poster Presentation Award Recipient
• 2013: Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management Management for Scientists and Engineers Certificate Program
• 2012: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Ion Channel Physiology Summer Course
• 2011 - 2014: Society for Neuroscience Neuroscience Scholars Program, Diversity Fellow

Books for Young Readers

Besides her scientific research, Dr. Griffith is also a talented author! She writes children's books that are all about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The Magnificent Makers Series

Dr. Griffith started writing her first book series, The Magnificent Makers, while she was on maternity leave. This series is for kids aged 7–10. It was even nominated for the Kid's Book Choice Award in 2021!

The series has nine books:

• How to Test a Friendship
• Brain Trouble
• Riding Sound Waves
• The Great Germ Hunt
• Race Through Space
• Storm Chasers
• Human Body Adventure
• Go Go Green Energy
• Rolling Through the Rock Cycle

These books are special because they include fun activities and experiments that readers can do at home. A review in the School Library Journal said that How to Test a Friendship is "great for kids who are looking for an adventure that isn’t scary. The science theme is fun, educational, and age-appropriate."

Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files

Dr. Griffith also helped write another non-fiction series called Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files. This series follows a young Black girl scientist named Ada. It's a companion to the popular Netflix show, Ada Twist, Scientist, which is based on the original picture book series Ada Twist, Scientist.

The three books in this series are:

• Exploring Flight
• All About Plants!
• The Science of Baking

Dr. Griffith has also shared her stories and interviews in news places like NPR and Today.

Published Books

• The Magnificent Makers: How to Test a Friendship, Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780593122983
• The Magnificent Makers: Brain Trouble, Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780593123010
• The Magnificent Makers: Riding Sound Waves, Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9780593123102
• The Magnificent Makers: The Great Germ Hunt, Random House, 2021. ISBN: 9780593379608
• Ada Twist, Scientist: The Why Files: Exploring Flight, Amulet Books, 2021. ASIN B09BFB1HJ6
• The Magnificent Makers: Race Through Space, Random House, 2022. ISBN: 9780593379639
• Ada Twist, Scientist: All About Plants, Amulet Books, 2022. ASIN B09M5XHM29
• Ada Twist, Scientist: The Science of Baking, Amulet Books, 2022. ASIN B09S6H49Q4
• The Magnificent Makers: Storm Chasers, Random House, 2022. ISBN: 9780593563076