Member Spotlight: Danielle Stoll, PhD

Name:

Danielle Stoll, PhD, Hope laboratory

Title:

Postdoctoral Fellow

Year joined CDB:

2024

Can you say a few words about yourself and your work at Northwestern?

I'm a biologist with experience in both basic and clinical research. Here at Northwestern, our group focuses on the HIV reservoir – how the virus is able to hide and reemerge when antiretroviral therapy is discontinued.

Any significant experiences that shaped your career or personal journey?

When I was a graduate student, my dream was to work in the field of botany or zoology field. But after my first anatomy class I became fascinated by the many structures that make up our bodies. Later, I became intrigued by how our cells communicate with each other through hormones. What truly inspires me is the intelligence of the human body - how it functions, and what disrupts it to cause disease. That’s how I ended up in the health sciences.

Who has been the biggest influence in your life and how did they impact you?

My parents. They always encouraged me to pursue my studies. Even when things got tough during my doctorate, they supported me. Additionally, I believe that all the teachers I had throughout my school years played a part bringing me to where I am today.

What is your favorite book or movie and why does it resonate with you?

This summer, I’m most excited about our optogenetics projects. We’re using blue light—like a molecular remote control—to precisely trigger microtubule assembly and disassembly. Hopefully, it will allow us to steer cell fate decisions and guide how neurons grow and connect—a blend of cutting-edge and fundamental science. I can’t wait to see what we discover.

If you could collaborate with (or meet) any scientist, living or deceased, who would it be and why?

Probably Albert Einstein – imagine having him as a co-author! I'm pretty sure no journal would dare reject our paper. Jokes aside, I would love to learn from his unique perspective.