Harvard University · BiologyGinty Touch Lab
David D Ginty · Cambridge, Massachusetts
Research Focus
David D Ginty's lab focuses on understanding how our sense of touch works, including how our body and brain process different types of tactile stimuli like pressure and texture. They explore the biology of sensory neurons in the skin and how these neurons develop and function in both healthy and disease conditions. By using advanced techniques and mouse models, the lab aims to uncover the underlying mechanisms of touch sensation and train the next generation of neuroscientists.
mechanosensory neuronstouch perceptionsomatosensory pathwaysmouse geneticsneuron developmentneuroscience educationdorsal column pathwaystactile stimulationneural circuitry
Research Aims
5AIM 01Elucidate the properties and functions of low-threshold and high-threshold mechanoreceptors.
AIM 02Define the organizational logic of the dorsal column pathways.
AIM 03Establish how mechanotransduction contributes to the development of the somatosensory system.
AIM 04Determine the basis of altered touch sensitivity in nervous system disorders.
AIM 05Train future neuroscientists in the principles of rigor and collaboration.
Skills the Lab Values
mouse modelsgenetic manipulationelectrophysiologyimmunohistochemistrybehavioral assaystissue sectioningcell cultureanatomical tracingdata analysis in neuroscience
Output against the department
Publications215top 30% of dept.304th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations33ktop 10% of dept.99th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.