Biography

Dr. Dan Tracey is a Professor of Biology and a Linda and Jack Gill Chair for Neuroscience at Indiana University Bloomington. He earned his B.A. from SUNY Buffalo in 1991, his M.S. from Florida International University in 1994, and his Ph.D. from SUNY Stony Brook in 1999. He completed postdoctoral training at the California Institute of Technology, after which he served as head of the Molecular Pain Signaling Laboratory at Duke University before joining Indiana University.

The Tracey Lab research uses the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster to uncover fundamental principles of neuronal circuit specification and function, with a particular emphasis on nociception — the neural mechanisms that allow animals to detect and respond to painful or potentially tissue-damaging stimuli. By exploiting the genetic tools available in Drosophila, his laboratory identifies circuits, genes, and molecular pathways underlying pain perception, mechanosensation (touch), and proprioception (body position sense), providing insights that are broadly relevant to nervous system function across species.

Dr. Tracey’s work is highly cited in the neuroscience community and includes landmark contributions to our understanding of pain biology and sensory systems. His publications span interdisciplinary topics such as mechanotransduction channels, sensory neuron circuitry, and the genetic bases of nociceptive behaviors, with influential work appearing in journals including Cell, Current Biology, PLoS Biology, Journal of Neuroscience, Genetics, and G3.

His research program has been supported by competitive national funding, including a Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), which provides long-term support to pursue new avenues in the molecular and cellular mechanisms of sensory perception and pain.

Dr. Tracey is widely recognized for advancing sensory neuroscience through innovative experimental approaches and model systems, mentoring students and postdoctoral researchers, and contributing to the growth of interdisciplinary neuroscience at Indiana University.

Publications

  • Lindsey ARI, Lue CH, Davis JS, Borjon LJ, Mauthner SE, Fricke LC, Youtsey A, Eads L, Murphy M, Drown MK, Faulk C, Buffington ML, Tracey WD Jr. (2026) "Genomics and reproductive biology of Leptopilina malgretoutensis (sp. nov.): an asexual parasitoid of Caribbean Drosophila." Genetics. 2026 Jan 31:iyag029.
  • Borjon LJ, de Assis Ferreira LC, Trinidad JC, Šašić S, Hohmann AG, Tracey WD. (2025) "Multiple mechanisms of action for an extremely painful venom."Curr Biol. 2025 Jan 20;35(2):444-453.e4. 
  • Mauthner SE, Borjon LJ, Tracey WD. (2025) "Assaying Nociception Behaviors in Drosophila Larvae During Parasitoid Wasp Attacks." Cold Spring Harb Protoc. 2025(4):pdb.prot108129. 
  • Mauthner SE, Tracey WD. (2025) "Mechanical Nociception Assay in Drosophila Larvae."Cold Spring Harb Protoc. 2025(4):pdb.prot108125. 
  • Borjon LJ, Mauthner SE, Tracey WD. (2025) "Nociception in Drosophila Larvae." Cold Spring Harb Protoc. 2025(4):pdb.top108172. 
  • Mauthner SE, Tracey WD. (2025) "Optogenetic Stimulation of Nociceptive Escape Behaviors in Drosophila Larvae." Cold Spring Harb Protoc. 2025 Apr 1;2025(4):pdb.prot108128. Cold Spring Harb Protoc. 2025(4):pdb.top108172.
  • Song W, Podicheti R, Rusch DB, Tracey WD. (2023) "Transcriptome-wide analysis of pseudouridylation in Drosophila melanogaster." G3 (Bethesda). 13(3):jkac333.
  • L He, L Borjon, WD Tracey Jr (2022) "The motor pattern of rolling escape locomotion in Drosophila larvae."BioRxiv, 2022.11. 03.514605
  • Lue CH, Buffington ML, Scheffer S, Lewis M, Elliott TA, Lindsey ARI, Driskell A, Jandova A, Kimura MT, Carton Y, Kula RR, Schlenke TA, Mateos M, Govind S, Varaldi J, Guerrieri E, Giorgini M, Wang X, Hoelmer K, Daane KM, Abram PK, Pardikes NA, Brown JJ, Thierry M, Poirié M, Goldstein P, Miller SE, Tracey WD, Davis JS, Jiggins FM, Wertheim B, Lewis OT, Leips J, Staniczenko PPA, Hrcek J. (2021) "DROP: Molecular voucher database for identification of Drosophila parasitoids." Mol Ecol Resour. 21(7):2437-2454.
  • SE Mauthner, KH Fisher, WD Tracey (2021) "The Drosophila gene smoke alarm regulates nociceptor-epidermis interactions and thermal nociception behavior." bioRxiv, 12.443649
  • Song W, Ressl S, Tracey WD. (2020) "Loss of Pseudouridine Synthases in the RluA Family Causes Hypersensitive Nociception in Drosophila."G3 (Bethesda). 10(12):4425-4438. 
  • WD Tracey (2019) "Mosquitos: the taste of water." Elife. 8:e48654.
  • S Gulyanon, L He, WD Tracey, G Tsechpenakis (2019) "Neuron Tracking in Calcium Image Stacks Using Accordion Articulations."  IEEE 16th International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI 2019)
  • He L, Gulyanon S, Mihovilovic Skanata M, Karagyozov D, Heckscher ES, Krieg M, Tsechpenakis G, Gershow M, Tracey WD Jr. (2019) "Direction Selectivity in Drosophila Proprioceptors Requires the Mechanosensory Channel Tmc."Curr Biol. 29(6):945-956.e3.
  • L He , S Gulyanon, MM Skanata, D Karagyozov, E Heckscher, M Krieg, G Tsechpenakis, M Gershow, WD Tracey Jr (2018) "Proprioceptive neurons of larval Drosophila melanogaster show direction selective activity requiring the mechanosensory channel TMC." bioRxiv, 463216
  • Walcott KCE, Mauthner SE, Tsubouchi A, Robertson J, Tracey WD. (2018) "The Drosophila Small Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channel Negatively Regulates Nociception." Cell Rep. 24(12):3125-3132.e3. 
  • Honjo K, Tracey WD Jr. (2018) "BMP signaling downstream of the Highwire E3 ligase sensitizes nociceptors." PLoS Genet. 14(7):e1007464. 
  • S Gulyanon, L He, WD Tracey, G Tsechpenakis (2018) "Neurite tracking in time-lapse calcium images using MRF-modeled pictorial structures." IEEE15th International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI 2018)
  • Burgos A, Honjo K, Ohyama T, Qian CS, Shin GJ, Gohl DM, Silies M, Tracey WD, Zlatic M, Cardona A, Grueber WB. (2018) "Nociceptive interneurons control modular motor pathways to promote escape behavior in Drosophila." Elife. 7:e26016.
  • K Walcott, S Mauthner, A Tsubouchi, J Robertson, WD Tracey (2017) "The Drosophila small conductance potassium channel (SK) negatively regulates nociception."Cell Rep. 24(12):3125-3132.e3.
  • Chin MR, Tracey WD Jr. (2017) "Nociceptive Circuits: Can't Escape Detection." Curr Biol. 27(16):R796-R798. 
  • WD Tracey (2017) "Nociception."Current Biology 27 (4), R129-R133
  • MG Christianson, SE Mauthner, WD Tracey (2016) "A gunshot approach to identify mechanical nociception genes with a high throughput behavioral assay." bioRxiv, 077644
  • MG Christianson, SE Mauthner, WD Tracey, WD Tracey (2016) "A shotgun approach to identify mechanical nociception genes."bioRxiv, 077644
  • Honjo K, Mauthner SE, Wang Y, Skene JHP, Tracey WD Jr. (2016) "Nociceptor-Enriched Genes Required for Normal Thermal Nociception."Cell Rep. 16(2):295-303.
  • Mauthner SE, Hwang RY, Lewis AH, Xiao Q, Tsubouchi A, Wang Y, Honjo K, Skene JH, Grandl J, Tracey WD Jr. (2014) "Balboa binds to pickpocket in vivo and is required for mechanical nociception in Drosophila larvae."Curr Biol. 24(24):2920-5.
  • Robertson, J.L., A. Tsubouchi, and W.D. Tracey (2013) "Larval defense against attack from parasitoid wasps requires nociceptive neurons."PLoS One, 8(10): p. e78704.
  • Pagadala, P., C.K. Park, S. Bang, Z.Z. Xu, R.G. Xie, T. Liu, B.X. Han, W.D. Tracey, Jr., F. Wang, and R.R. Ji, (2013) "Loss of NR1 subunit of NMDARs in primary sensory neurons leads to hyperexcitability and pain hypersensitivity: involvement of Ca(2+)-activated small conductance potassium channels."J Neurosci, 33(33): p. 13425-30.
  • Zhong, L., A. Bellemer, H. Yan, H. Ken, R. Jessica, R.Y. Hwang, G.S. Pitt, and W.D. Tracey (2012) "Thermosensory and nonthermosensory isoforms of Drosophila melanogaster TRPA1 reveal heat-sensor domains of a thermoTRP Channel." Cell Rep, 1(1): p. 43-55.
  • Tsubouchi, A., J.C. Caldwell, and W.D. Tracey (2012) "Dendritic filopodia, Ripped Pocket, NOMPC, and NMDARs contribute to the sense of touch in Drosophila larvae." Curr Biol, 22(22): p. 2124-34.
  • Stewart, A., A. Tsubouchi, M.M. Rolls, W.D. Tracey, and N.T. Sherwood (2012) "Katanin p60-like1 promotes microtubule growth and terminal dendrite stability in the larval class IV sensory neurons of Drosophila."J Neurosci, 32(34): p. 11631-42.
  • Schwartz, N.U., L. Zhong, A. Bellemer, and W.D. Tracey (2012) "Egg laying decisions in Drosophila are consistent with foraging costs of larval progeny."PLoS One, 7(5): p. e37910.
  • Hwang, R.Y., N.A. Stearns, and W.D. Tracey (2012) "The ankyrin repeat domain of the TRPA protein painless is important for thermal nociception but not mechanical nociception."PLoS One, 7(1): p. e30090.
  • Honjo, K., R.Y. Hwang, and W.D. Tracey, Jr. (2012) "Optogenetic manipulation of neural circuits and behavior in Drosophila larvae."Nat Protoc, 7(8): p. 1470-8.
  • Zhong, L., R.Y. Hwang, and W.D. Tracey (2010) "Pickpocket is a DEG/ENaC protein required for mechanical nociception in Drosophila larvae." Curr Biol, 20(5): p. 429-34.
  • Caldwell, J.C. and W.D. Tracey, Jr. (2010) "Alternatives to mammalian pain models 2: using Drosophila to identify novel genes involved in nociception."Methods Mol Biol, 617: p. 19-29.
  • Hwang, R.Y., L. Zhong, Y. Xu, T. Johnson, F. Zhang, K. Deisseroth, and W.D. Tracey (2007) "Nociceptive neurons protect Drosophila larvae from parasitoid wasps."Curr Biol, 17(24): p. 2105-16.
  • Al-Anzi, B., W.D. Tracey, Jr., and S. Benzer (2006) "Response of Drosophila to wasabi is mediated by painless, the fly homolog of mammalian TRPA1/ANKTM1."Curr Biol, 16(10): p. 1034-40.
  • W.D. Tracey Jr, Wilson RI, Laurent G, Benzer S. (2003) "painless, a Drosophila gene essential for nociception."Cell. 113(2):261-73.

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